Without Warning
by Princess-Pasta
Summary: Another genderswapped Jane Lane story with a little edge (hopefully). This is the story of Jace Lane and his life in Lawndale. Of course this is an AU.
1. Esteemroller

**CHAPTER ONE: ESTEEMROLLER**

Jace Lane struggled to keep his eyes open as the final bell rang, signaling the start of History class. Two weeks into his sophomore year and Jace was already fed up with school. Lots of other things started to take priority over it. Paintings, sculptures, music...all-night monster movie marathons.

The latter was the reason for his current exhaustion. He was running on three hours of sleep and paint fumes. Not a good way to start the day.

"Class, we have a new student joining us today. Please welcome Daria Morgendorffer. Daria, raise your hand, please."

Mr. DeMartino's harsh voice was enough to rouse Jace from his state of semi-consciousness. Sitting in the next row over with her hand raised was a short girl with long auburn hair in a dark green jacket. He couldn't make out much else from behind.

"Well, Daria, since you have your hand raised-" Mr. DeMartino got an evil glint in his eyes, the very same he used to strike fear into the hearts of all his students. Jace knew immediately that this girl was a goner, "Why don't you tell the class some of the effects of the Industrial Revolution?"

Without missing a beat, "The Industrial Revolution brought with it a move from hand tools to power tools which moved small-scale production to a larger level. Unfortunately, nobody accounted for the shift from clean air to smog."

Jace wasn't sure what was more surprising: her correct answer or the fact that she was bold enough to add the sarcastic quip at the end. He wasn't sure whether DeMartino was about to explode or have another heart attack by the way his right eye was bulging. He continued to glare at Daria for a full minute, clearly trying to compose himself.

"...Very good, Daria. Almost suspiciously good."

On that note, he turned his wrath onto Kevin Thompson, Lawndale High's quarterback and self-appointed idiot. However, Jace was still focused on the new girl. Maybe class would be interesting from now on.

* * *

"Esteem...a teen. They don't really rhyme, do they? The sounds don't quite mesh. And that, in fact, is often the case when it comes to a teen and esteem. The two just don't seem to go together. But we are here to begin realizing your actuality..."

_Sixth time's a charm,_ Jace thought as he watched Mr. O'Neill enthusiastically breeze through the same opening spiel he gave every time he started this class. Self-Esteem Intervention was just as stupid as the name suggested. It was a class started by Mr. O'Neill himself, who used to run a self-help seminar before he became an English teacher. Jace felt bad for the poor saps who actually paid for his help. For someone so wimpy and spineless, it was a wonder why he felt he could impower others. Jace whipped up a sketch of him as a quivering sunflower being advanced on by a snarling pit-bull. Now, that would make for a fun class.

Feeling his creative juices flowing, Jace turned in his desk to see if there were any more potential subjects. Unfortunately, he came upon familiar faces of those too boring to provide any real inspiration. Sighing, he laid his head against his desk and willed the clock to move faster.

* * *

He was relieved when the class was finally over and he got to walk home. Staying after-school for something so boring was bad enough, it was even worse when he was so tired. The first thing he wanted to do was crawl under his blankets and sleep. He silently hoped that Trent wouldn't be deep into one of his "deep" guitar sessions. He could only hear an improperly executed 'D' chord so many times before it drove him insane. As he was walking, he suddenly recognized someone vaguely familiar in front of him. It took him a second to realize it was the new girl from earlier. For the life of him, he couldn't remember her name.

He watched her as she fished a pack of cigarettes from her jacket pocket, lighting them with a black Zippo lighter. He didn't think he was walking loudly or following too close but something made her turn around. She was staring at him, dark brown eyes scrutinizing him behind her round glasses. He froze under her heavy gaze, feeling like a creep.

"...Hi." her voice was flatter than he'd ever heard anyone speak before. She made up for the lack of inflection with a raised eyebrow. Clearly, she wanted an explanation.

He wasn't sure how to proceed. Firstly, this was an awkward situation. There was no way to make it look like he wasn't following her, even though that wasn't the case. Secondly, he wasn't great at conversation...especially under pressure. He had the tendency to make everything into a joke which made people very angry, very fast. Every second he waited, the more awkward the situation was becoming...

"Hey."

She waited for him to continue and when he didn't, she spoke again, "This is where you tell me what you were doing. Or things get bad for you."

"What?!" He didn't like the sound of that, "I was just walking! I wasn't-"

"I have mace. I'm also not against kicking you while you're down."

"I'm serious! My house is literally right up the street. I wasn't trying to do anything."

She eyed him wearily for a moment before she seemed to relax, "...Okay. You really shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"Sorry." He held his hands up in defense, "I wasn't paying attention."

"Uh huh. Say, don't I have English with you?"

Jace couldn't recall, "Maybe. I'm not sure."

"You're not very observant, are you?"

"I am when it matters."

She nodded, "Good answer. Anyway, I should get going. Nice talking to you."

"Wait." She stopped, "Aren't you going to tell me your name?"

"...It's Daria. And you are?"

"Jace."

"I'll try to remember that."

With that, she turned and walked off. This time, Jace waited before he did the same.

* * *

"Fancy seeing you here."

Jace peered around his locker door to see Daria standing there.

"I would've gone with 'do you come here often?'"

She examined some of the doodles taped inside his locker, "Hm, good one. Did you draw these?"

"I did." Jace finished exchanging his books, "They're pretty old now, actually."

"I like them."

He closed his locker, "Not many people say that."

"Daria!"

Jace watched as an attractive redhead in a midriff pink t-shirt and designer jeans came flitting towards them. She stopped a few feet away, taking a second to glance him over before deciding he was of zero importance.

"What did you say to Corey?"

"Corey? You know, that name doesn't ring a bell."

She pouted, putting her hands on her hips exactly how girls did on TV, "I know you told him something. He was going to take me to a concert this weekend!"

Daria feigned shock, "I remember now! I told him about that nasty rash you have on your back that spreads whenever you're in crowded places."

"That's not true! Stop trying to ruin my life!"

"Stop calling me your 'cousin' and we'll call it even."

She seemed conflicted but it didn't take her long to make up her mind, "Fine. Deal."

She stalked off in a huff, tossing some hair over her shoulder for emphasis. Jace felt like he just stepped into a sitcom.

"...Did that really just happen?"

"Unfortunately. You've just had your first, and hopefully last, encounter with my younger sister, Quinn."

Jace shuddered, "Ouch."

"You're telling me." She pointed towards a classroom, "I should get going. Detention doesn't serve itself."

Detention? She sure didn't waste time getting into trouble.

"Neither does self-esteem class. See you around?"

"I'll meet you after class."

* * *

Jace and Daria walked home together; Daria smoking a cigarette while Jace kicked at rocks with his steel-toed combat boots.

"You've seriously taken the course six times? Why?"

Jace just told her about the sordid history of his time in Self-Esteem Intervention, starting with the beginning of his freshman year.

"I like having low self-esteem. It makes me feel special."

She shook her head, "Don't you know all the answers by now?"

"Of course I do."

"Then why don't you test out?"

Jace knew why. It was because, as much as he hated the class, it beat sitting home alone. At least there, he had people around. Even if he never spoke to them. It was kind of pathetic so he didn't bring it up.

"...I guess I never thought about it."

She looked at him funny, "You're weird, you know that?"

"Says the girl that carries around pepper spray."

"That's not weird, it's a precaution. So is-" She reached into her left pocket, "This."

In her hand was a spring-assisted switchblade, rainbow finished.

"You brought that to school?!"

"Calm down." She returned it to her pocket, "I'm not going to haul off and stab someone for no reason. I just like to have it with me."

He added 'carries knife' to the very short list of things he knew about Daria Morgendorffer, "What about the metal detectors?"

She waved her hand dismissively, "Those don't actually work. The way Ms. Li goes on about security, you'd think she'd have better equipment installed."

"They don't?" Jace never knew that, "How could you tell?"

"Lucky guess."

They came upon a two-story yellow house with an overgrown lawn, otherwise known as the place Jace called home. He took a second to check the mailbox while Daria looked around with mild interest.

"Impressive."

He briefly glanced over the envelopes, "You wouldn't say that if you saw the inside."

"I guess I'll take your word for it. See you tomorrow."

He waved goodbye before ascending the steps and pushing open the unlocked door. He tore open the first envelope, which was written in his dad's shaky handwriting. It contained a postcard of the Eiffel tower and a check. The only thing written on the card was, 'Bonjour! Be home soon. -Dad'. _I highly doubt that,_ Jace thought bitterly as he tossed it onto the rickety coffee table. The second envelope was, predictably, the water bill. There went half the money. At least his parents had the decency to float them some cash a few times a month. It almost made up for their abandonment.

With that out of the way, he climbed the stairs two at a time until he reached his bedroom. He kicked aside piles of dirty clothes as he made he was over to an unfinished canvas resting on his easel. It was of a lone gray wolf, silhouetted by a blood orange moon. It had taken him ages to get to this stage but he was happy with the results. A few more finishing touches, and he'd be done.

* * *

Jace sat at his usual table in the cafeteria, across from the A/V club, alone. He was picking apart his rubbery chicken sandwich when a tray dropped down across from him. Daria sat down right afterwards, placing a battered book next to her food. He couldn't make out the title but it was obviously heavy reading.

"I didn't know you were in this lunch."

"Now who's not being observant?"

She rolled her eyes, "You looked bored so I figured I'd give you company."

"Thanks?"

Jace still wasn't used to having someone around. He had gotten so used to being friendless that he didn't know how to react.

"They expect us to eat this?" Daria said, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the lumpy mashed potatoes on her tray.

Before he could respond, another person approached the table. He recognized her from his self-esteem class but he knew her only as Burnout. She had long blonde hair which fell over the left side of her face and she never smiled. Her outfit consisted of a patched leather jacket over a black tank-top, olive green cargo pants, and thick-soled combat boots. All Jace knew about her was that she was one of the notorious potheads around school. It was rumored that she was mute but Jace knew that wasn't true.

"Hey, Jenny." Daria turned to face her.

She _did_ have a real name.

She sat down at the table, "Shaggy wants to know if you're down for pizza later."

"Can't." Daria frowned, "No after-school activities unless they're 'pre-approved'. I don't think I should risk sneaking out just yet."

"No problem." She stood back up, "Call me when you're not locked down."

Jenny made her way back to her usual table with the rest of the stoners. Jace didn't expect Daria to know any of them but she seemed to be full of surprises.

"What are you doing this weekend?"

He shrugged, "Sleeping, painting, lugging equipment around for my brother's lame grunge band. Maybe I'll even get crazy and order Chinese."

"Or you could come over to my house."

"Come over? Aren't you on punishment?"

"I'm not allowed OUT. There was nothing stated about letting people in. Plus, Quinn's having the Fashion Club over and I might commit murder if I don't have a distraction."

Jace truly didn't have anything better to do. It wouldn't hurt to learn more about her. He thought he might even enjoy himself.

"Sure. Why not?"


	2. Weekend Warrior

**CHAPTER TWO: WEEKEND WARRIOR**

Helen Morgendorffer was a force to be reckoned with. She was professionally dressed in a navy skirt suit and black heels, her brown hair curled neatly into a bob. The stern look in her hazel eyes made Jace feel like he was being dissected under a microscope. He knew that was the point. He was rushed to the kitchen table as soon as he arrived at Daria's house and then the interrogation began. Daria was leaning against the kitchen counter in a Black Flag t-shirt, her skirt and her boots with her eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Alright, Jace is it? Do you have a police record? Have you spent time in a juvenile detention center?"

"Uh..." He was taken aback, "No."

She didn't look like she believed him, "I'm a lawyer. I can find these things out."

"I'm not lying." He frowned, "I've had all my shots too. Don't worry."

Daria smiled even though Helen was less than enthusiastic about his comment. Jace silently cursed himself, that was definitely going to work to his disadvantage. He made a mental note to tone down the sarcasm and hold his tongue.

"Empty your pockets."

Jace was about to ask if she was serious but her face had that pinched look that he realized as no nonsense. He'd seen enough good cop/bad cop movies to tell that Helen was definitely the bad cop. Jace started to wonder about Daria's dad. He hadn't seen any glimpse of him yet. If her mom was this stern he could only imagine she married some kind of drill sergeant or police officer. He shook off that grim thought as he fumbled to empty all of his pockets.

"Mom, this isn't really-"

"I will not have drugs in this house, young lady!" Helen turned towards her oldest daughter, "I may have agreed to this but the same rules still apply. You're not in the position to object."

Jace went through his pants pockets which were empty except for a gum wrapper and a tube of plain chapstick. His blazer pockets turned up a mint and a red kneaded eraser. Helen briefly looked over the items before allowing him to put them back.

"Are you going to frisk him too? Strip search?" Daria rolled her eyes, "Are we done here?"

Before Helen could say anything, her cellphone started to ring. She cast one last look at both of the teens, "You're staying in the living room where I can see you."

Daria's jaw clenched, "Quinn's in there with her obnoxious friends. You can't be-"

"I'm dead serious, Daria. You're not going into your room with him. Trust has to be **earned** and frankly you have a long way to go." She turned to Jace, "Same goes for you."

Jace was offended but he didn't say anything. He was used to people passing judgment on him but this was a little extreme. He hadn't done anything wrong and he certainly wasn't going to do anything illegal or inappropriate while he was there. He didn't want to know what kind of trouble Daria had gotten into if this was the result. Daria motioned for Jace to follow her into the living room where Quinn and the rest of the Fashion Club were already sitting. He'd seen enough of them at school to know they were the kinds of girls he tried to avoid. Self-centered, empty-headed, boring. He hoped against hope that they'd leave. Quinn was munching on a celery stick when she noticed Daria and Jace enter the room. She let her hazel eyes take them in for a few seconds before her mouth turned down into a frown.

"What are _you_ doing in here?"

Daria grabbed the remote control from the coffee table and quickly flipped through the channels until she came to a particular show: Sick, Sad World. Jace watched the show every day. He even recorded a few of his favorite episodes to watch later. All the bizarre stories made for an interesting thirty minutes. The hour exposes were even better.

"You'll just have to move your little meeting upstairs."

Quinn glanced nervously at her friends. Sandi was sitting with her arms crossed and her lips pressed into a thin line. Stacy Rowe was observing the situation with nervous glances between both sisters. Tiffany Blum-Deckler was too busy staring at herself in her mirror to notice anything was going on. Jace thought the scene would make for an interesting sketch.

"No way! We had the TV first. Fashion week is on!"

"Too bad. Unless you want to fight me for it." Daria sneered.

"Quinn, is your cousin or something going to be, like, a problem?" Sandi frowned, "Maybe we should just hold the meeting at my place since there are so many...distractions here."

Daria flopped down in the empty armchair and rested her feet on the table, "Yeah, Quinn, I think that's your best option."

Quinn seemed to be trying to think of a solution . She was eyeing Daria as if she was seriously considering forcibly removing her from the area. Daria raised an eyebrow before cracking her knuckles. Quinn paled and turned back towards Sandi.

"Good idea, Sandi! Let's go!"

Quinn glared at Daria before her and the rest of the club filed out the front door. Jace took a seat on the couch as soon as they were gone.

"You weren't really going to fight her, were you?"

"That wouldn't be fun." Daria raised the volume on the TV, "She'd be down in ten minutes."

_"They bake cookies by day, but they really heat up at night. G-string grandmas, today on Sick, Sad World."_

* * *

Sunday morning passed by without Jace even knowing it since he didn't wake up until 2:00 PM. The heavy curtains he kept up ensured his room would always be shrouded in darkness. It was a tip he took from Trent. He rolled out of bed and yawned before brushing some black hair away from his forehead. To his surprise, he was sweating. He sighed before trudging over to his door and walking out into the hall. The heat was even more noticeable now. He ignored the sweat sliding down his back as he walked downstairs and approached the thermostat. The needle was resting on eighty-five degrees. No matter which way he turned the dial, it wouldn't budge. Jace sighed but abandoned the effort. It was busted again.

He made his way into the kitchen and saw Trent sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and a half-eaten cheeseburger. He was fully dressed in a loose grey t-shirt and faded blue jeans.

"Hey, Jace."

"Trent." He took a handmade mug out of the cabinet and filled it with the rest of the coffee, "You're up early."

Trent scratched his chin, "I figured it was easier to just stay up. The band's got a gig at The Zon at four."

Jace sat down across from him, "Right, I almost forgot."

A gig meant that Jace would tag along to help set-up equipment. It wasn't his job but he'd do anything to get out of the house for awhile. It could get suffocating sitting inside alone all day. He would go for jogs but he could only run for so long before he got tired. As far as he was concerned, he could exert the same amount of effort lugging amps with the bonus of being around other people. It also meant the promise of one or two free beers which didn't hurt. It would be the perfect end to his weekend.

* * *

"We're not changing the tuning! We play the song like we always do."

"I'm just saying it could give us something new to work with! I don't see you coming up with any better ideas."

"We don't need ideas! We just play like we do at practice! What is with you and your stupid ideas?"

"Oh so now they're stupid?"

Jace leaned forward and raised the volume on the radio in an attempt to drown out the arguing. Max and Nick never got along, ever. Their personalities just didn't mix. Jace thought the dynamics of Mystik Spiral were seriously out of whack. Trent was the impromptu leader given that he was the lead guitarist and vocalist but he rarely maintained control of anything. It was his group so to speak but he could never be an authority or restore order. Then there was Jesse, the rhythm guitarist and Trent's best friend, who was about as much help as a bag of sand. He mostly offered strange advice and slept through practice. Nick was the bass player and hands down the grumpiest member. He was always shooting down ideas, complaining, and generally being an asshole. Jace didn't like him very much but he understood some of his grievances. He was the only one with a job and half of his money went to alimony and child support. The added stress from the band only made him angrier. Max was the newest member and the drummer, also the cause of most of the problems. For some reason, he wanted to change everything even though his ideas were never good. Jace always found it funny how he raved about being a 'criminale' but was deathly afraid of law enforcement and the prospect of imprisonment. He had a faux punk attitude that Jace thought was ridiculous given his age but he never said anything. As far as he was concerned, he was an innocent bystander. He tried to help the group out once or twice by designing their logo and making t-shirts but he gave up once even those ideas sparked arguments. He wasn't sure if they would ever make it big but if they did, he imagined the split would be inevitable.

The van, better known as The Tank, pulled up at the back of a small, grunge club. The Zon was like a second home to Jace who had been visiting the place ever since he was thirteen. Of course back then it was called The Zen but the new owners changed the name. Jace slid open the back door and grabbed one of the smaller amps before the rest of the band went to work. He lugged the amp up the stairs towards the back door which was manned by a muscular, middle-aged man with a bald head and dark sunglasses.

"How's it going, Jace?"

"Not bad, Ray."

"Head on in, the other bands just finishing up."

Jace made his way through the back area which wasn't much different than the rest of the place. The walls were plastered with stickers and flyers for events long since past. The air was thick with the scent of cigarette smoke, stale beer, and sweat. Jace wouldn't expect anything else. He started to walk on stage just as the previous band was exiting. He was stopped by a slender, pale girl with jet black hair and a nose ring. She was dressed in a flowing deep purple skirt and black corset accented by a silver waist chain and platform boots.

"Uh, hey Monique."

Monique was Trent's ex-girlfriend, at least for the time being. Jace lost count of how many times they fought, broke up, and then got back together. He hoped they wouldn't reconcile tonight. He needed the sleep before school tomorrow and he didn't want to be woken up at 3 AM by them. The walls were much too thin. He thought about getting reinforced steel for his room.

"Is Trent with you?"

_Well, duh _he thought, "Yeah. He's playing tonight."

"Good." She stormed off, her platform boots thumping loudly down the steps. Jace rolled his eyes before setting up the amp. At least he knew he'd be getting some sleep later.

* * *

Jace gripped the steering wheel loosely and fought the urge to honk the horn. Jesse was passed out drunk in the back along with Max while Nick was leaning against the far door with his eyes closed. Jace knew he wasn't asleep because every so often he would flinch when the voices outside got louder. Jace glanced out of his side window to see if they were winding down. From the looks of it, they were. Trent was leaning against the brick wall while Monique paced up and down the sidewalk, her cheeks flushed and her mascara running down her face. _Oh boy. _Jace didn't understand why they kept doing the same song and dance. The relationship was doomed. Jace thought it would be best to walk away, permanently.

"Let's go."

Trent slid into the passenger's seat and slammed the door shut behind him. To the casual observer he would seem calm but Jace could pick up on the subtle cues. He wouldn't stop moving: he was fidgeting with his seatbelt, messing with the dials on the radio, drumming his fingers against his knee. He was agitated. Jace didn't ask, instead he pulled away from the curb and started driving. Finally, Trent spoke up.

"It's like she just doesn't get _me_."

Jace waited for him to elaborate but he only shook his head and kept his eyes focused out the window.

"Um, okay? What does that mean exactly?" Jace was used to drawing out explanations from his brother.

Trent sighed, "It means she doesn't get my creative process. How can I go get a job? That would stifle all my positive energy."

Jace knew why Monique was upset but he didn't tell Trent this. She was tired of having to support him while he slept the day away. Monique worked two jobs and played gigs with her band, The Harpies. She had the drive to promote her band AND pay the bills. Trent was more of the 'sit-and-wait' type. He liked to believe that fate would bring opportunity to him. Jace knew that was a philosophy he picked up from their mother. She was always spewing this metaphor about butterflies and 'if it's meant to be, it'll come back'. Trent wholeheartedly believed that whether he wanted to admit it or not. Jace knew you couldn't get anywhere unless you worked hard and put your foot in the door. He tried to convince Trent of this but his brother was too set in his ways. He only hoped that some miracle would allow Mystik Spiral to get signed. Otherwise, Trent would be living in a cardboard box on the street by the time he turned thirty-five.

Jace tightened his grip on his steering wheel and stared straight ahead. He loved his brother and he wanted the best for him. He _wanted_ Trent to succeed. After all the years that Trent took care of him, like a father, he deserved something good. But it just seemed impossible. It wasn't entirely Trent's fault. Jace chose to blame his parents who were in the running for the 'Worst Parents Ever' award. He could count on one hand the amount of times he'd seen them for more than two weeks at a time. Jace was the youngest Lane and thus the one that got pawned off on all the older siblings. Wind was gone as soon as he finished high school so he never helped much. Summer looked after him as best as she could until she got pregnant at eighteen and then she left. Penny treated him more like a burden than a brother so he learned to avoid her. Trent was the one that truly cared. He did everything in his power to give Jace a normal childhood, or as normal as possible given the circumstances. Jace resented his parents for that. How could they be okay with that? Didn't they care? Trent was the one giving him medicine and soup when he was sick, not his mom. Trent was the one showing him how to ride a bike, not his dad. Trent was the one that bought him his first set of chalk pastels with the last of the money he saved.

Jace saw them as a perfect example of how NOT to take care of a family. He wouldn't be like them. He wouldn't be _anything_ like them.


	3. Party Crashers

**CHAPTER THREE: PARTY CRASHERS**

The medieval style fire-breathing dragon on Jace's canvas was so detailed that it was almost as if he could feel the flames. He stood back, admiring his work. It had taken him a few weeks to get to this stage but the effort was worth it.

"Excellent work, Jace. Your brushwork is getting better and better." Ms. Defoe, his art teacher, nodded in appreciation.

He respected her opinion more than anyone else's. She was his favorite teacher and the one that inspired him to improve. He'd seen some of her paintings when he stayed after-school to finish up projects, they were phenomenal. He couldn't understand how she was a high school teacher and not living in NYC with her own gallery. She would often talk about the joys of college and her stay at an artist's colony in Florence but she would never tell him what happened. He figured it wasn't any of his business anyway.

Ms. Defoe moved on to another table and he paused to see what Daria was up to. She was sitting at a table with Brittany Taylor, a perky blonde cheerleader with pigtails and two very discernible 'assets'. Jace quickly shifted his gaze from that area lest he get caught. Daria was drawing something on Brittany's paper while Brittany twirled some hair around her finger and observed. They were working on perspective, something Jace thought was rather easy. He was lucky enough that Ms. Defoe let him work on his own pieces when she was teaching something he already knew.

"OH!" He heard Brittany squeak, "I get it!"

So, Daria was helping her? Jace didn't know her to take pity on the mentally deficient...or anyone else. He made a note to ask her about it and as soon as the bell rang, he did.

"I just thought she could use a little help."

"Did I wear my stupid mask today?"

She smirked, "Okay, so I wanted her to shut the hell up. Short of slapping her, I figured that was better."

"Maybe she'll make you an honorary cheerleader for your efforts."

"That's not going to happen" she shook her head, "She wouldn't want a delinquent like me around her and her friends."

They came to a turn in the hallway where Shaggy and Burnout were standing. Daria nodded to them.

"Time for a smoke break. I'll see you unless you want to tag along."

"Oh no. I have a reputation to uphold. I can't relinquish the title of 'that weird art guy.'"

"I'm sure hanging out with me already tarnished that image. I'll see you at lunch."

Jace shook his head as her and Burnout snuck out of a side door with Shaggy keeping watch. Over the past few weeks, he came to consider Daria a friend. Not a close one but a friend nonetheless. It was good enough considering the rest of the school avoided him like the plague before she arrived. Daria wasn't like the rest of them. She was in a category of her own. The rest of the students already had her labeled as a troublemaker, a burnout, or a weirdo. But she was more than that. There were a lot of layers to her like she used them as a defense. When one started to show, she applied another coat of paint. Jace wanted to see who she was without all the armor. He knew getting that close would be a challenge.

* * *

Daria flipped through one of Jace's sketchbooks while she sat on his bedroom floor. Since she managed to stay off of Ms. Li's radar and thus go without detentions, her mom allowed her certain privileges. Although, Jace wasn't sure how long they would last. Her mom specifically said she wasn't allowed over his house and yet, here she was. He feared Helen probably had a tracking device hidden on Daria's jacket and she'd swoop in any minute to fry them both. So far, no helicopters landed on his roof.

"Huh, I see why you took this life drawing class now."

He looked over her shoulder to see a sketch of a particularly well-endowed model, "I plead the fifth."

She shook her head as she turned to another page, "I have a mission for you."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"It's simple really. Brittany invited me to her house party and while I don't normally fraternize with the pretty and popular, the promise of witnessing them in their natural habit is too good to pass up."

"Does this mean I'm psychic?"

She rolled her eyes, "No. She just didn't want to owe me any favors later on down the line. She's not making me a cheerleader."

Jace leaned back against his computer desk, "How do I fit into this equation?"

Daria placed the book down, "You're my wingman. We also need a ride which entails a car which you have."

"It's not my car, it's Trent's. And it's a crappy car at that. We?"

"Crappy car is better than no car. I need an escape vehicle for when I sneak out. And by 'we' I mean me and Jenny. Come on, Lane."

He folded his arms, "I don't know."

"This is a delicate operation. I need your help. Plus, I think you're good company." She paused, "And you can get some sketches in."

He could tell she meant it sincerely. He sighed, "Fine but you better not get caught. Your mom hates me enough as it is."

"She doesn't hate you. It's me she hates. You're just guilty by association." She stood up, brushing off her skirt, "Anyway, I'll call you."

* * *

Jace wasn't happy about being squished between Trent and Daria in the front of the Plymouth Satellite but there was no room in the back. Somehow, Trent had accumulated a mountain of cardboard boxes and decided to keep them for something or other. Jenny was taking up the other section of the backseat. All Jace knew was that his legs were screaming at him but he couldn't move, his knees were pressed against the dashboard.

"Thanks for the ride, Trent."

"No problem. I needed a break anyway. I've been practicing for ten hours straight."

"Daria, would you say sleeping with a guitar in your hands counts as practicing?"

"As long as you don't drop it." She smiled.

Even Trent chuckled a little followed by a few short coughs. He pulled up to the entrance of Crew Neck, the subdivision where all the richest in Lawndale lived. Jace still couldn't believe he was going to a party there, a party hosted by a cheerleader.

"I'll let you off here." Trent looked over at the security booth, "I have a problem dealing with authority."

"You and me both." Daria exited the car, followed by Jenny who was staring at the gated community with intrigue.

"Are you sure you don't want to crash?"

"A high school party?" Trent shook his head, "Don't you think I'm a little mature for that?"

Jace rolled his eyes and tumbled out of the car himself. He was grateful that he could stretch his legs.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Trent called before driving off.

"That means nothings off limits. Which is good for you two." Jace smirked.

"Is murder included in that deal?" Jenny raised an eyebrow.

Daria was silent as she stared after the car. After a few seconds, "...You never told me your brother was cute."

Jace groaned, "Not you too."

"Hey, I'm not completely blind."

Jenny brushed some hair away from her face, "Let's go. Before I throw up."

The trio made their way over to the security booth where a bored looking guard was standing with a clipboard.

"We're here for Brittany Taylor's party."

He didn't look up from his clipboard, "Names?"

"Daria Morgendorffer." She glanced at Jace, "He's my date. And this is..."

"Tiffany."

"Tiffany Hodge, Tiffany Duke, Tiffany Fairchild or Tiffany Blum-Deckler?"

Jenny shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket, "...Tiffany Hodge?"

They waited in anticipation. Nodding, the guard crossed their names off the list and waved them on. Apparently, luck was on their side. They walked up a winding driveway to the front door of an impressively sized house. They could hear the music from outside.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"You know, just because people are cliquey and snotty is no reason not to like them." Daria reached out to ring the doorbell.

"Or hate them." Jace smirked as she rang the bell and the door was thrown open.

Brittany was standing in front of them wearing her usual cheerleading uniform and a broad smile.

"Daria! I'm glad you're here! And you brought a date! And..." Brittany looked at Jenny with a confused expression.

"This is Jace. He's an artist. This is my cousin." Daria said, taking a page out of Quinn's book.

Brittany seemed to think for a second before shrugging and ushering them inside. Jace took in the strange decor. It was all reminiscent of a safari. There were paintings of Africa coupled with fur skin rugs. There was even a stuffed tiger. _I should've brought a camera. _

Brittany flounced off to talk to other people while Daria, Jace, and Jenny made their way into the kitchen. They stopped in front of a long table which was covered in assorted snacks.

"Look two kinds of chips!" Jace said, feigning excitement.

Jenny shook her head, "Flat or ridgy? You make the call."

Daria reached over and grabbed a handful, "I'm not used to such refined tastes."

Jace looked over to see Charles "Upchuck" Ruttheimer III approaching them from the opposite end of the room. He wore his telltale "flirtatious" smile and his brown eyes had a glint of mischief. He sidled up to Daria but not before adjusting the collar on his yellow polo.

"My my, what lovely creatures do we have here?"

Upchuck's attempts at charm always succeeded in being more cringe inducing than effective. Jenny barely batted an eyelash, instead choosing to ignore him. Jace expected Daria to threaten him or maybe skip the formalities and just kick him in the shin. She didn't disappoint.

"Take one step closer and I'll show you just how 'lovely' these boots feel when they're connecting with a very sensitive area."

Upchuck opened his mouth to say something else but Daria silenced him with a murderous glare, "You have five seconds to get the hell away from me."

All of his earlier confidence wilted under her gaze and he scurried away as quickly as possible.

"I might make you my miniature bodyguard."

Daria smiled, "A six foot boy with a five two bodyguard? Maybe we could send that in to Sick, Sad World."

"Isn't that your sister?" Jenny pointed towards the living room where Quinn was flanked on one side by the Fashion Club and the other by Joey, Jeffy, and Jamie.

Jace watched a slow smile creep across Daria's face, "Thank you. I have someone to humiliate."

"What are friends for?" Jenny grabbed a plastic cup filled with punch before following Daria. Jace trailed them until they were within earshot of the group.

Quinn spotted Daria making her way over and visibly started to panic. Joey was trying to get her attention but she was too busy trying to escape. Daria's size ensured that she could maneuver around people easily and she reached Quinn before she even had a chance to hide.

"Hey, **sis**. I didn't expect you to be here."

"Sister?" Sandi wrinkled her nose, "Quinn I thought you said-"

"Gotta go!" Quinn managed to spy an out and she took it, running to the bathroom and locking herself inside.

The presence of Daria, Jace, and Jenny made the Fashion Club retreat but the three J's seemed reluctant to leave without Quinn. They looked like three lost puppies. Jace again found himself wishing he had a camera. These were priceless moments that needed to be captured for future viewing.

"Did Quinn ever tell you three about her chubby stage?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Daria was $20 richer and Quinn was thoroughly annoyed.

"Ya know, this isn't as great as I thought it would be." Jenny folded her arms and leaned against a wall.

"We can go. My work here is done."

"Since we're all in agreement." Jace gestured to the door, "It's time to make our escape."

Jace led the way as they left Brittany's house and walked past a line of cars at the gatehouse. Behind the disgruntled neighbors were two cop cars. The guard that let them in was being woken up by a grisly looking cop. Daria broke out into a fit of laughter as they passed and Jenny cracked a small smile.

"Let's see: I humiliated Quinn, threatened to kick a creep, and the party is going to be busted. All in all, a great night."

"I didn't have to stay home and listen to my parents fight" Jenny nodded, "Anything is better than that."

Jace had to admit, he had fun, "I didn't talk to a whole bunch of new people and I got to see a real stuffed tiger in the flesh. That should provide enough material for a new oil painting."

"HEY!"

Jace was the first to turn around and see a very upset Quinn rushing over to them. Her shoes made squishing sounds as she ran and it was only when she got closer that he could tell they were soaked. With what he wasn't sure. Daria groaned but she stopped walking and turned to face her sister.

"What happened to you and why did I miss it?"

"Should we call Mom and Dad?" Quinn said, ignoring her comment.

"Are you insane?" Daria held her hand up like a mock telephone, "Hey, it's me Daria. Yeah I know I'm supposed to be home right now but I just needed some fresh air. Oh yeah and the party I wasn't supposed to be at got busted by the police. Yeah sure, see you in a few minutes."

Quinn folded her arms, "I don't see you coming up with any better ideas."

"I've got one. We walk."

"But Dah-ria! My shoes are ruined! I'll get blisters!"

Daria seemed to think for a moment, "Hm, tough shit."

Quinn mumbled something under her breath but she started to walk ahead of them. Jace stole a glance at Daria who was smiling and Jenny who was adjusting a pin on her jacket. He didn't know much about either of them and they were both known for their lousy reputations but they were the first people to invite him out anywhere. It mattered. He wouldn't call them great friends just yet. But maybe, if things continued the way they were.

_Just maybe..._


	4. Just Add Sugar

**CHAPTER FOUR: JUST ADD SUGAR**

"Class, I thought today we'd take a break from the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to discuss the real life tragedy that happened last night here in Lawndale. Let's share our feelings of violation following the loss of our beloved cybercafé, .com. Who would like to start? How about Charles? Charles, did you hear me?"

Jace watched Mr. O'Neill flip through his seating charts in a panic as Kevin stared at him with confusion. Jace was glad that he finally passed that self-esteem class. Now, he only had to deal with O'Neill once a day. He had Daria to thank for the motivation. He had someone to spend time with now, he didn't need the class anymore.

"Thank you, Kevin. Jodie, about that word, "community." Isn't that the whole idea of a cybercafé? To jack us into the global community? I think what's most disturbing about this crime is the symbolism involved. Don't you agree, Jace?"

Jace just looked at him, "No."

He wasn't interested in this discussion in the slightest. The cybercafé was always full of college students that were trying too hard to seem 'cool' and 'edgy'. Jace was glad the place was gone.

"Oh, come on."

Jace started to pay attention when Daria's voice cut through O'Neill's lengthy monologue. She was looking at the English teacher as if he suddenly sprouted two extra heads.

"Come together with the planet? By staring at a screen for hours? Sitting in a room full of people you never say a word to?"

Jace smiled as Mr. O'Neill tried to keep control of the situation, "Uh, interesting point, Dorian."

"It's DARIA. How long have I been in this class? A month now?"

Mr. O'Neill, clearly flustered, went back to his seating chart, "...Sorry, my mistake. _Daria_, you believe that while connecting Lawndale citizens to our global neighbors, the cafe was alienating us from each other."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm _saying_ if you really miss the stupid place, put a Mr. Coffee in the computer lab."

"So, in your opinion, what we really need is a return to the traditional coffee house of yore, where you'd watch some performers and share a cup with your friends, face to face."

"Oh god." She muttered.

Jace leaned forward, "You're a visionary."

"Bite me."

Mr. O'Neill was pacing the front of the classroom now, caught up in the excitement of his own suggestion, "Right here and now, let's pledge to make Daria's dream a reality."

"The one where people walking down the street burst into flames or the one where I hijack a cargo plane full of explosives?"

Mr. O'Neill completely ignored her comment and continued to rave, "The coffee house! We'll plan it, locate it, raise the money, and open it!"

Jace snickered as Daria's face turned sour, "Please, shoot me."

"Now where's the fun in that?"

* * *

Jace held the phone against his ear with his shoulder while he added texture to the face of the mountain he was painting. Daria was on the other end trying to convince him to help her raise money for the coffee house. Even though she outright refused to participate and loathed the idea, Quinn mentioned it to her mom. Helen said Daria had to join or she'd lose the little freedom she just earned back. While Jace understood her plight, he was not on the same boat.

"No way."

"Come on." He heard the faint sound of a TV, "Do it for friendship."

"I have no friends." He paused for dramatic effect, "I walk alone."

"I'm not groveling."

"Okay, then you're on your own."

She sighed, "Fine. Do it for the opportunity to look inside people's houses and find out what screwed-up tastes they have."

He dropped his paintbrush into some brush cleaner, "Now, you're talking my language."

* * *

Jace walked alongside Daria who was holding a cardboard box filled with chocolate bars. A vintage camera pilfered from his parents room was hanging around his neck. While walking door to door selling candy wasn't the least bit of fun, Daria gave him a wonderful idea. He could document the bizarre findings of Lawndale citizens and turn it into a collage of sorts. He already had a name: Sick, Sad Suburbia. Daria slowed down and pointed to a one-story, mint green house with three paint chipped lawn gnomes sitting near the front porch.

"What about here? Anybody who decorates their yard with those has to be worth photographing."

Jace adjusted his camera lens and took a picture of the smiling statues before following Daria up the steps to the front door. She rang the doorbell and they waited. In a few minutes, an overweight woman with stringy black hair in a green and blue muumuu was standing in the doorway, breathing heavily.

Daria stole a quick glance at Jace who could only return her gaze, "Uh...hi. I'm selling chocolate bars for the new student coffee house."

"New coffeehouse?" She wheezed.

Jace nodded, "Our cybercafé got trashed."

"Well, I enjoy chocolate. Doctor says I'm not supposed to have too much of it, but he wouldn't mind if it's for a good cause."

The woman stepped away from the door to look in her living room, providing Jace with the perfect opportunity to snap some photos. He raised the camera and took a quick succession of pictures, hoping he at least got something interesting. The woman returned holding a leather purse.

"...Just a second, you two."

Jace saw Daria look concerned for the first time since he met her, "...Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just, just, I was in the basement when the doorbell rang. Need to catch my breath a little. How many chocolate bars you got there?"

Daria looked down at the box, "We've got two boxes. That's twenty-four."

"I'll take them all."

"Really? All of them?" Jace was both surprised and elated. If she bought all the candy that meant they'd be finished and they'd raise enough money for Mr. O'Neil to be happy. He was already imagining the meat lover's pizza he'd be savoring at Pizza King.

Daria looked troubled, "Are you sure that's okay with your doctor?"

He never knew her to be concerned about the welfare of others. Hell, she was always quick to inflict bodily pain on anyone that looked at her the wrong way.

"It's okay as long as he don't know about it! Dammit! Where's that money?"

The woman, flushed from overexertion, started to break into a fit of coughing. Before Daria could ask if she was alright, she fell backwards into her house. Jace gazed over the threshold to see that she had passed out...at least he hoped that was all.

"Oh my god." Daria looked like she was about to faint herself.

"Don't worry, I think she's still breathing."

"Don't worry?" Daria continued to stare at her, "Did she hit her head? Do you know CPR?"

"I don't think so...I gave the Heimlich maneuver to Trent once."

"Did it work?"

Jace shrugged, "He wasn't really choking, he just fell asleep while eating his lunch."

He scratched his head, "We should be doing something. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah. Should we call 911?"

"Just a sec." Jace took another picture of the inside of the house causing the woman to stir. She got herself to a sitting position and stood up slowly, swaying slightly.

"Damn hypoglycemia. I'm sorry, kids, I'm holding up the works. Okay, now. How much apiece on those chocolate bars?"

Daria tightened her grip on the box, "I'm not selling you these chocolate bars."

"What's the matter? My money's not good enough for you?"

"No. I'd rather not think I sent somebody to the hospital by being grossly negligent."

The woman scowled, "Give me those chocolate bars!"

Jace grabbed a hold of Daria's elbow and started to step away from the house, "Thank you for the offer though, ma'am, and for caring about the students of Lawndale High."

"We'll be going. Unless you want us to call you a doctor. Or an ambulance."

The woman was livid now, "I don't need a damn doctor, I need a damn chocolate bar! Gimme! I'll pay ya five bucks apiece!"

Jace and Daria quickened their pace and left her behind, seemingly still yelling from her doorway. Daria was ticked off so she passed the box to Jace and crossed her arms.

"Five dollars apiece. We would've made over a hundred bucks. And your volunteering would be over."

"Yeah. And all I had to do was take a human life" She scowled.

Jace shook his head, "You always see the downside don't you?"

He grinned when he saw a smile playing on the corner of her mouth.

* * *

Jace was sent to the principal's office on only one other occasion. It was right after he failed the psychological exam for the fourth time. Ms. Li tried to scare him into passing the self-esteem class by threatening to send him to an "alternative" location where teachers would be "better suited" to help his "specific needs". All in all, her coercion tactics failed and she had nothing to back it up with. As he suspected. She wouldn't spend the money shipping him off to some reform school for a few months. And there was no way she could get a hold of his parents to force them into it. She was stuck with him.

That visit had been relatively calm compared to the one now. The tension in the air was so thick he was sure it could be cut with a knife. Daria was sitting next to him in her own armchair, giving Ms. Li the nastiest look she could muster. Ms. Li was returning the gesture.

"The school received a phone call this morning from a Mrs. Johannsen. She said two students came to her door to sell her chocolate bars, and then suddenly refused to do so. Hmm. Even after she offered** five** dollars a bar, or more than twice the asking price."

Daria leaned back in her chair, "She was hypoglycemic. The chocolate would've killed her."

"She passed out while we were standing there." Jace added.

"Did she ask you to feed her the chocolate?"

Daria's eyes narrowed, "What does that have to-"

"How do you know it wasn't for her family?"

"She has no family." Jace mumbled just low enough for Daria to hear, "She ate them."

Mr. O'Neill, who was giving them both sympathetic looks, jumped in, "Daria, Jay, we're two hundred dollars short of what we need to open the coffeehouse."

"That doesn't sound like my problem." Daria shrugged.

Ms. Li exhaled sharply, "Well, I can't force you to do fundraising, but I can't give you credit for participating in the coffee house project, either."

"So?"

"So, maybe I could place a phone call to Vitale et al and let your mother know about your refusal to participate in MANDATORY school activities. Or maybe we'll just have a talk about how your hostile attitude is not conducive to a high school environment."

Jace watched Daria grip the armrests hard enough for her nails to dig into the upholstery, "You can't do that."

"Oh but I can."

"Uh, Daria, what about what we discussed? Reading something on opening night." Mr. O'Neill glanced at her.

Daria was on the verge of destroying anything she could get her hands on, "I don't think so."

Jace watched Ms. Li pick up the phone and start dialing a few numbers. Daria loosened her grip on the chair.

"Fine!"

Mr. O'Neill clasped his hands together, "Fabulous!"

Daria's cheeks were still flushed with anger. Jace leaned over to her, "Look, I'll help you out. If you want."

"Only if you know how to man a machine gun."

* * *

Jace rang the doorbell to the Morgendorffers house and stood back with his hands in his pockets. He was glad Daria didn't call until 3:00 PM because he was still drifting in dreamland. When he left, Trent was just shuffling into the kitchen with his eyes half-closed. Jace hoped he wouldn't forget how to make coffee again. Trent's mental functions didn't operate fully until he'd been awake for at least an hour. The front door was pulled open and Jace was greeted by a middle-aged man with a thick crop of dark hair in a gray business suit. He could only assume the man was Daria's father. He didn't look as tough and surly as Jace imagined. He briefly glanced at Jace before calling back into the house.

"Quinn! Your date is here!"

Before Jace could say a word, Quinn peeked her head around the corner, "Ew, Dad! As if! That's just one of Daria's weirdo friends."

Jace was unaffected by her comments, he'd been insulted by too many girls for it to bother him anymore.

Jake scratched his chin, "One of Daria's friends? Hm, DAR-"

"I'm right here, Dad." Daria appeared at the bottom of the stairs in a loose fitting t-shirt and faded blue jeans. Jake smiled at both of the teens before making his way back into the house. Daria motioned for Jace to enter and she locked the door behind him.

"You're in luck. Mom's staying late for a business meeting."

He followed Daria upstairs where she led him to her room. Jace stood in awe at his surroundings. The walls were covered by thick padding much like the ones found in psychiatric wards. There were even handrails and sawed off bars on the windows. Besides that, Daria's room was furnished normally. There was a neatly made bed next to the windows, a bookshelf filled with novels, a computer desk and a TV set-up on a wheeled stand. Not to mention her posters of Kafka and parts of the human skeleton along with a microscope and a replication of a human skull. Jace thought it was all very cool.

"This might be the greatest room I've ever set foot in."

Daria sat down on her floor where a pile of composition notebooks were stacked, "I can rent you the closet."

He sat down across from her, "So, what's the plan?"

"I have no idea. It's either poetry or...something else."

"...Okay?"

"I don't really want to read any of this garbage. None of it's my best work."

He picked up a notebook and handed it to her, "You're a writer. They can't be that bad."

"Fine. How about, "The Bleakness That Lies Ahead"?"

"Too sentimental."

She turned the page, "No Life. No Hope. No Future?"

He shook his head, "Too pie in the sky."

"Mommy's Little Hypocrite?"

"Eh, too much like a children's book."

She tossed the book aside, "I'm going to kill you."

"That sounds promising. Listen, you gotta give them something they'll really appreciate." Jace tapped his chin, "Picture Kevin and Brittany drinking in your words like an elixir of knowledge. Heady... potent... seductive."

"Are you marketing your own fragrance now?" She ran a hand through her hair, "No. I can't read this."

He shrugged, "Then write something else. Something worthy of this occasion."

She reached for her remote and turned on the TV, "Hm. Maybe."

* * *

The coffee house was decorated nicely with a 'GRAND OPENING' banner and some balloons attached to the door. The interior was redone in mostly earthy, warm tones making the place feel comfortable and relaxing. Jace had to admit that the money was put to good use. Most of his class was seated at the round tables evenly spaced around the room. The football players occupied one table near the back of the room, Mack Mackenzie and Jodie Landon sat together near the front of the stage. The rest of the tables were interspersed with the rest of his classmates, all filled with excitement. Jace bought himself a small cup of coffee and a giant chocolate chip cookie before sitting down at an empty table. The only other person sitting alone was Andrea, a moody goth girl who seemed to loathe everything and everyone. He watched her with quiet reverence as she carefully pulled a flask from her inner pocket and took a swig. He didn't judge her because he could understand. It was times like these where he felt the cold sting of loneliness. The rest of his class had friends, people to talk to, people that looked forward to seeing him. The only person he knew well enough was getting prepared backstage...or so he assumed. She hadn't told him much about her writing after the uneventful day at her house. Just his luck. She probably bailed out on the performance altogether and now he looked like the idiot. He took a large bite of his cookie and turned towards the stage which was currently empty except for Mr. O'Neill and a few tech students from the drama club. Mr. O'Neill was adjusting the microphone while the students adjusted the overhead lights and taped down wires.

"Yo."

He turned and saw Jenny taking the seat next to him. She didn't have any coffee or snacks, just a walkman and a water bottle. She looked around the room as she sat down, her expression plain and impassive. He didn't think she attended school sanctioned events outside of Lawndale High. Her and the rest of the burnouts usually stood outside of Pizza King and smoked or loitered with skateboards outside of Cranberry Commons. They never went anywhere that could be classified as school sponsored, extra credit, volunteerism, or any combination of the three. Her presence at the coffee house was strange indeed. Especially since she was alone and not tailed by the rest of the nameless group.

"I didn't think you would show up to something like this."

"I wasn't going to." She sniffed, "Daria called asking me to show up. I thought about saying 'fuck that' but ya know, she's cool. So whatever she's doing is going to be bitchin'."

So Daria was still performing. If she went through all the trouble of telling Jenny, she must've had something big planned. Jace just hoped it wouldn't involve explosives, knives, or fire. He would just have to wait and see.

"Hello everyone!" The microphone blared with feedback and everyone winced. Mr. O'Neill tapped the microphone again and went back to talking, "To christen this lovely new establishment, we have a few live acts. First up are Kevin and Brittany!"

There was a light scattering of applause as O'Neill left the stage. Jace watched as one of the tech hands set up a ladder and Brittany appeared on stage in a pink medieval cap and veil. Jenny slid her headphones over her ears and pressed play on her CD player.

"No way I'm listening to this train wreck." she mumbled.

As Brittany climbed the ladder, Kevin lumbered on stage in his football uniform and shoulder pads holding up a cheesy looking fake skull.

"Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" Brittany squeaked.

Kevin broke out in his typical goofy smile, "I'm right here, babe!"

The football team whooped loudly and pumped their fists. Jace placed his head on the table and groaned. If the rest of the acts were this terrible, he was in for a long night.

* * *

"Now, speaking of raw emotions, it's my pleasure to introduce one of Lawndale High's most gifted writers: Daria Morgendorffer."

Jace was glad Daria was finally onstage because his anticipation had reached critical proportions. He suspected she asked to be the last act. _Maybe they saved the best for last, _he hoped. He still couldn't shake the feeling that she would rush out on stage clad in camo and drop a smoke bomb on stage or recite a freeverse poem about the stupidity of each and every one of their classmates. Jenny was still listening to her music, lying face down on the table. He tapped her shoulder gently and she jumped up looking ready to attack. He flinched and scooted his chair away but she only rubbed her eyes and stopped the CD player. She draped the headphones around her neck and focused her green eyes on stage. Jace followed her gaze just as Daria was walking on stage. She was dressed in all black: a plain black sweater, black jeans, and her scuffed black combat boots. A black acoustic guitar was secured over her shoulder by a leather strap. From the looks of it, she was...nervous? Her dark brown eyes were glued to the floor as she made her way to the microphone. She straightened out her glasses and took several deep breaths before lowering the microphone stand. With everything settled, she sat down on a stool and gazed out at the crowd with her usual indifferent face.

"Uh, hey. I'm going to play a song I wrote. I guess I should just start."

She lightly strummed her guitar a few times, adjusted a few of the tuners, and then started to play. It was a slow melody that emitted from the instrument, a harmonious chord progression that steadily built in intensity. She moved her fingers along the frets with the air of a practiced musician. It was clear that she was no novice. Jace propped his elbows up on the table and leaned forward as she started to sing.

_"So, I'm afraid, I know I'm afraid,_

_I'm drunk and I'm tired,_

_And the city I walk in, the city I walk in,_

_It feels like it swallows,_

_With my hand in my pocket,_

_I feel like a shadow, I feel like a shadow."_

Her voice had an airy, slightly haunted quality to it. It carried well around the room, a far cry from her normal, flat speech patterns. It was something Jace didn't expect, at all. A hush fell over the audience as every eye in the room focused on the the table of rowdy football players was unusually silent, watching. Jace had a deep appreciation for what he was witnessing. He got the feeling this wasn't something done often, especially publicly. He felt like one layer was flaking away and underneath was a girl with deep emotions. She was laying out a hidden piece of herself right on stage and that took courage.

_"Though I'm afraid,_

_Afraid that I have made mistakes._

_Now there's nothing here for me._

_The things you once told me,_

_The thoughts you once gave me,_

_Sound like the wind in my ears_

_That blows out the knots I've got in my long brown hair."_

Daria had been focused on one area, a spot right above the crowd, so she didn't have to look at anybody for too long. But now Jace watched as she shifted her gaze over to the table where he was sitting. Their eyes locked and again, he found a stranger behind her eyes. No, he found himself mirrored there. Someone lost and scared and...alone.

_"I feel like the shadows I don't even bother for anymore than that._

_What did you whisper in my ear?_

_What did you tell me that I wanted to hear?_

_What was the answer you wanted me to find out?_

_There's no lies, the lies, the lies, the lies..."_

She played a few more chords before ending the song. Everyone maintained their silence and she fidgeted uncomfortably. She had exposed herself and now she was waiting for the repercussions. She was worried about being laughed at, ridiculed, embarrassed. It was the very same reason Jace never exploited his artistic talents. His art was personal. It was intense and vivid, sometimes scary. He wouldn't want someone seeing some of the paintings he'd finished. Daria was definitely courageous. The silence was almost deafening and Daria quickly stood up to leave the stage. Someone started to clap, Jace realized it was Jenny. Seeing her spurred something in himself so he joined her. Then there were more people until the whole room was applauding. A bright blush crept across Daria's face as she hurried off the stage.

_Well, that was interesting._

* * *

Daria grabbed another slice of pepperoni pizza, leaving the last slice for Jace. Together, they managed to devour an entire extra large pizza. Jace gladly slid the last slice onto his grease stained paper plate and took a large bite before finishing off his cup of Ultra Cola. The coffee shop that Mr. O'Neill rallied and worked so hard to establish was, ironically, robbed again. After a surprisingly successful opening night, someone threw a brick through the front window and stole all the espresso machines. Jace couldn't understand where someone would sell stolen coffee machines but apparently the thieves knew something he didn't. Unfortunately, the place was closed until further notice following a police investigation. And just when Jace thought he could start liking the place.

"All that work for absolutely nothing." Daria sighed, "I love random acts of vandalism as much as the next person but not at the expense of my hard work."

"I can't believe the place didn't even last 48 hours. That has to be a record."

She started peeling pepperonis off her pizza and eating them separately, "At least my mom was impressed by my efforts and I still got that extra credit. Things are looking up."

Jace scoffed, "Not that your grade was in jeopardy Ms. A plus average."

"Says Mr. C minus. You could've done something and reaped the benefits."

"I'm sure the audience would've been riveted by actually watching paint dry." He shook his head, "After watching your performance, I would've been booed off stage. It was really something."

She flushed again and he couldn't help but smile. That girl from the other night was still in there somewhere. All he had to do was keep chipping away at her tough exterior.

"...Don't expect any more free shows. I take cash only."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Daria pointed to the empty pan, "But this time I'll take another pizza, extra cheese."

He pulled some money out of his back pocket, "I'm beginning to think I'm paying to be your friend."

"Friend?" She looked up at him, expectantly.

He paused, "Yeah?"

"No, it's just..." She shrugged, "You've never said that before."

He thought back on all their previous conversations and realized she was right. He knew she didn't intend to make things awkward but he felt very self-conscious. He grabbed the empty pizza tray and made his way over to the counter before she could say anything else.

**Song lyrics used: Warpaint - "Shadows"**

**All direct quotes taken from Cafe Disaffecto. All Daria characters belong to their respective owners. **


	5. Model Mayhem

**CHAPTER FIVE: MODEL MAYHEM**

As if Lawndale High couldn't get any more ridiculous, a modeling agency was going to be scouting out the 'talent'. Jace suspected their definition of that word had to be VERY loose if they were resorting to such drastic measures. Ms. Li was practically salivating at the prospect of the 'honor' and 'glory' that would be bestowed onto the school. In actuality, it was more about the sum of money she would receive once somebody signed a contract. It was all so pathetic that Jace wished he could take the whole week off. All any of his teachers could talk about was the Amazon Modeling Agency (with the exception of Mr. DeMartino). Mrs. Bennett was the worst and she tailored today's economics lesson to emphasize fashion's utilization of marketplace psychology. Jace was trying to make sense of the confusing diagram she'd drawn when forced, obnoxious laughter broke his concentration. It was coming from the hall and soon the offenders were standing right in the doorway. There was a slender bleached blonde male with a bad tan, thick-rimmed glasses, and a goatee in a tight black top and a tall, pale woman dressed in a mish-mash of styles that offended the eyes. Her face was heavily made up and she smelled like she had just taken a bath in a pile of flowers.

"Huh. You must be the representatives from the Amazon Modeling Agency."

So these were the people that he had to avoid. It wouldn't be too difficult considering everything about them affronted all five of his senses. Even if he didn't see them, the woman's perfume would alert him from a mile away. He cast glances at Daria and Jenny who both wore matching scowls though Jenny's was more subdued. It wasn't like her to get worked up over these things. She didn't like them but she was too far off the radar to care. Daria was another story.

"This is the most exciting day of my life! Being a model is all I've ever wanted to be."

Jace turned to his right where Brittany was marveling at the two agents. She was wearing a floor length trench coat which hid whatever she was wearing underneath. Jace could only imagine something over the top or wildly inappropriate. Possibly both.

"Well, let's have a look! Hmmmm... lovely. What is your name?" The woman with a terrible French accent tilted Brittany's chin so she could get a good look at her face.

"Brittany? Is that okay? Because I was thinking of changing it to... Blue."

_You've gotta be kidding me. _

"Just slip out of that jacket and do a little runaway, sweetie."

Jace watched closely as Brittany unbuttoned the coat and tossed it into her chair revealing a sparkly pink, strapless evening gown. He didn't recall her wearing it this morning which meant she went through the trouble of changing before class and lugging along a trench coat to hide it with. It was an awful lot of work for someone like her. Jace could only imagine how crazy things would get if she applied that sort of effort to something worthwhile. Brittany stood up straight and walked with all the poise and grace of a Miss America pageant contestant. It took everything in Jace's power not to burst out laughing right then and there. Brittany took her seat but not before whatever-his-name-was made sure he pointed out the size of Brittany's boobs. Jace was beginning to wonder if this agency was even legitimate. Knowing Ms. Li, it was probably the least reputable agency she could find.

"Astonishing! We'll see you in class, Blue."

The woman turned away from her and focused on the rest of the class, "Now, who else in this room is a potential superstar du fashion?" to Jace's shock and horror, she walked over to his desk, "You! You have a very interesting look! Have you ever considered the achingly glamorous life of a model?"

"What?!"

She nodded, "Yes, that bone structure. Those eyes. What's your name, darling?"

Jace was not about to go down that road, "I'm not at liberty to discuss that. You see, I'm in the witness protection program. Any exposure, especially of this caliber would be detrimental to my safety."

She clicked her tongue and turned away but the male agent had already spotted their next victim: Daria. Jace was sure the rage in her eyes could burn holes into them but they pursued, undeterred.

"Oh, look at you. So waif-like... so pouty. Could you remove your glasses?"

"Could you remove your halter top?"

Jace hid his amusement as the guy pretended not to understand her.

She rolled her eyes," I can't take my glasses off. I need them to see scam artists."

Both of the agents looked appalled. They quickly rushed out of the classroom leaving Daria even angrier than when they arrived. They were obviously nutjobs that were trying to sucker some unlucky soul into wasting all their time and never getting paid. Jace felt bad for anyone that got conned into that.

* * *

Claude and Romonica wasted no time picking their subjects and Jace made sure he was in attendance to see the ensuing fiasco. He was lucky that Daria was enlisted to keep an eye on her sister, Quinn, or else he would've been sitting in the auditorium by himself like a creep. Daria made it perfectly clear that she would not be caught dead anywhere near the two modeling agents again. She also didn't want Ms. Li to think that she changed her mind and supported the idea. For once, Jace was thanking Helen for her rigid rules. He settled into his chair and watched the line of girls onstage. He was ready for the carnage.

"Now, girls, you're little kittens in an animal shelter. You have to look sad and helpless so someone will adopt you, or else it's kitty heaven."

Daria laughed, "What does that have to do with modeling?"

"I don't know but how does he know they're not going to kitty hell?"

Quinn was actually doing a decent job. Jace could tell she learned enough from watching all those runway shows. The 'competition' was her fellow Fashion Club members and a chubby, red-haired girl with freckles. Jace felt bad for her. He wouldn't put it past Romonica to throw her in for laughs. He heard a chair squeak next to him and he turned to see Trent lounging in the seat to his right. He was watching the stage impassively with his hands resting on his knees. Jace had no idea what he was doing there.

"Hey, Jace."

"Yo, Trent. What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, "Oh, you know. Whatever."

"Mom and Dad know you left the house voluntarily?"

Jace's parents were back in town, at least for a short while. He was positive his mom was in the basement working on her pottery wheel while his dad barricaded himself in the darkened bathroom to finish prints. Neither of them probably even knew Trent left.

"Um, I'm not sure how to break it to them. You got any ideas?"

Jace shook his head, "Nah. How about you, Daria?"

She moved forward in her seat so she could see both of them, "Leave a series of artfully placed sticky notes detailing your journey from your bedroom to the school. They'll appreciate that."

Trent chuckled before coughing into his closed fist, "Good one, Daria."

"No but really. What are you doing here?"

Trent raised an eyebrow, "Um, you know, I thought I'd check it out... Get used to being around fashion types... You know, for the future."

Jace was confused, "What are you talking about?"

"You know. Models... musician. Models... musician." He said, pointing first to the stage and then himself.

Daria started to chuckle but she was abruptly cut off by a series of loud, high-pitched sobs. A blubbering Brittany collapsed into the chair next to her with mascara running down her face.

Daria tried to move away but the seat didn't provide enough room. Sighing, she turned towards the other girl, "What's wrong, Brittany?"

"Appearently I'm not model material! It's awful!"

"I think you mean apparently. "Jace shook his head.

"I mean, I should be up there on stage with the winners instead of out here in the audience with the losers!"

Jace was about to offer a rebuttal when he noticed someone on stage gesturing towards him. Romonica and Claude were waving him on stage where Joey, Jeffy and Jamie were already standing. Jace missed what was going on since he wasn't paying attention.

"You out there! Yes, you! Get up here!"

Reluctantly, Jace stood up and made his way onto the stage. The lights were much brighter than he imagined and he found himself squinting to get a good look at where he left Daria, Brittany, and his brother. Within seconds, he was joined by an elated Kevin. He wasn't sure but he could've sworn he heard Brittany wailing even louder.

Romonica stalked across the stage and quickly partnered everyone up. Jace ended up partnered with Sandi Griffin which didn't bode well with either of them. She glared at him with her arms crossed and he wished he was still back in the audience.

"All right, these are the sort of poses..."

"Known in the business as hayride crap." Claude finished.

"You can find yourself doing it in catalog work."

Claude smiled, "Unless it's a really fun catalog. Then it might be a bit more interesting. For instance... boys, would you mind taking your shirts off?"

Jace thought, _no fucking way, _until he saw the three J's actually removing their t-shirts. The only ones still fully clothed were him and Kevin (who looked extremely confused).

"Well? Come on. I'm not going to lose my chances because of you." Sandi sneered.

"Are you crazy?"

Her glare became even more intense, "Like, just take your shirt off. It won't, like, kill you. Unless you're horribly out of shape or something."

Kevin had removed his jersey and football pads now and Jace felt very, very out of place. He wasn't one to give into peer pressure, especially something this stupid, but he couldn't help feeling anxious. Everything was screaming at him to walk away but he could only stand there, frozen in disbelief.

"Now girls, I want you to rub your hands over those virile young chests. You want them, they want you, all that remains is to find someplace to let desire run free."

It took Sandi actually lifting up the bottom of his t-shirt to snap him out of it.

"I'm not doing this." He backed away, "This is not happening."

Sandi was about to descend upon him along with Romonica and Claude but he was more focused on Quinn. She was standing at the other end of the stage looking frightened and nauseous. She was looking all around, trying to figure out what to do. The shirtless blonde in front of her, Jamie, was obviously too eager for her to touch him. Jace felt something in him click and he rushed towards the opposite end of the stage to get her. At first, she seemed reluctant to follow him but one more look at Jamie made her grab his arm.

"Let's get away from this freakshow."

He led her off the stage back to where Daria and Trent were. Brittany was nowhere to be seen. Daria, who usually berated or laughed at Quinn, was already standing up to grab her. Jace was amazed when she pulled Quinn into a tight embrace.

"Are you okay?"

Jace could tell he was witnessing a private moment and he felt embarrassed for eavesdropping even though he wasn't trying to. Quinn was still shaken but she looked a little less afraid. Daria pulled away but she kept a firm grip on her shoulders so she could look her in the eye.

"You need to be more careful. You're lucky I was here."

Quinn averted her eyes, "...I know. But Daria, you can't get in anymore-"

She stopped her, "You let me worry about trouble, alright?"

Jace was puzzled but he made sure he took his seat without prying. Whatever was going on between them, it was more complicated than he first imagined. These were not the same sisters that argued and humiliated each other. They talked for a few more minutes before Ms. Li stormed onto the stage and Quinn made her exit.

"You there! Stop that! You, stop that! Put your shirt back on! I don't want to see that! Put that jersey back on."

Trent shook his head, "I knew I should've stayed home."

Jace found himself wishing the same thing.

* * *

Jace had never heard Daria speak so vehemently about anything before. Sure, she had her principles and morals and she never backed down from an argument but this was different. There was more behind it than just some long held belief. He lounged across his bed with his feet resting on his pillows and his head hanging over the edge while still managing to keep the phone against his ear.

"Li is in for a rude awakening. I bet she'll never let another two-bit agency come back to Lawndale."

Jace shook his head, "What is this nefarious plan? Or am I not allowed to hear it?"

He was used to Daria planning things on her own. She would tell him certain parts but she still didn't trust him enough to let him in on all of it. With the way she schemed he could only imagine she'd been doing it for several years. Not even he could hold a candle to some of her ideas.

"Sorry, Jace. You'll see soon enough. " She paused, "Thanks for uh, getting Quinn out of there."

"I was only performing my duty as a good Samaritan."

"No, seriously. Thank you. My mom sent me there to watch her and I didn't even realize." She paused again, "...I didn't even notice until it was too late."

Jace could tell there was so much more she wanted to say but she was unwilling to tell him. He didn't blame her. He was just getting used to the friendship as well. It wasn't easy telling people secrets about yourself, "Don't worry about it. Wanna go for some pizza?"

"...Yeah. I could use some pizza."

* * *

Ms. Li's expression was priceless.

"Students, young people, red-blooded youth of America! I'm General Buck Conroy, publisher of Brutal Mercenary Magazine, and I've come to your school today to find out who among you has what it takes to become a soldier for hire in today's exciting world of geopolitical violence!"

A muscular marine in army fatigues was shouting into the microphone at the podium while Ms. Li stood off to the side looking bewildered. She moved to take back her position but he blocked her.

"Now, now, ma'am, a deal's a deal. Sad to say, America no longer engages in the kind of ground wars that made this country great! But that doesn't mean that savage hand-to-hand combat is out of your reach. Mercenary soldiers go where the money is. You not only kill, but get paid well for doing it! Whew! What a racket! In a few days, we'll have a complimentary class right in the auditorium."

"What are you talking about?! Who invited you here?!"

Jace looked to his left where Daria was sitting, a broad grin stretched across her face. This was her idea. It was a pretty darn good one.

"Why, you did, ma'am. I have your letter right here, and here's the fee we agreed on."

Ms. Li held the letter in trembling hands while she opened and closed her mouth like a fish. At the right moment, the auditorium doors were pushed open and Channel 7 was rushing forward with news cameras and a reporter. Jace shook his head as Ms. Li tried to shield her face from the cameras. Daria was right about the faulty security.

"Enjoying the show?"

He smiled, "You've impressed me again, Morgendorffer. That big brain of yours is lethal."

She shrugged, "I do what I can. Too bad we'll never find out who won that modeling contract. Who knows? It could've been you."

"Don't even joke like that." He shuddered, "I prefer to stay behind the camera."

"I'm sure Ms. Li would've liked that, too."

Ms. Li was running around stage in an effort to leave but the paper she used to cover her face also prevented her from seeing the steps. She tripped and tumbled, head first, to the ground.


	6. Band Of Misfits

**CHAPTER SIX: BAND OF MISFITS**

Alternapalooza was a tour consisting of over 100 bands, ranging from alternative rock to heavy metal, that traveled down the east coast with a few dates in California. The tour started the beginning of April and went until the end of May. For the first time, the tour was making a stop in Swedesville which was about a two hour drive from Lawndale. Given that information, Daria made sure she got tickets. Jace was handed his general admission ticket in the middle of art class. He dropped his paintbrush into a cup of water and wiped his hands on his jeans before grabbing it. He scanned the information a few times before saying anything.

"I think Trent's going to this. You know, I would've paid you for this."

"Maybe we can all meet up. Don't worry about it, Jenny got them at a discount. Her brother's going to be with the tour."

He slid the ticket into his back pocket, "Your mom is letting you off house arrest for this?"

Daria smirked, "If you can believe this, Quinn's going too. I've been 'ordered' to watch out for her."

"I'm sure you'll take that job seriously."

"...I have better things to do. I can't follow her all the time."

Jace could tell he should change the topic so he decided to focus on the details of their trip to Swedesville.

"How are we getting there?"

Daria returned to her painting of a deer skull, "Jenny has her brother's old van."

Jace glanced over, "She can drive?"

"She got held back in seventh grade."

"Okay, well, I guess that's covered."

He wasn't too confident in Jenny's driving abilities but she couldn't be any worse than Trent. Jace was getting used to spending weekends out as opposed to sleeping or inhaling secondhand smoke at The Zon. Sometimes he thought about how boring his life would still be if Daria never moved to Lawndale. He'd be stuck in his same old routine; alone and bored. In retrospect, it was depressing. He'd gotten so used to people avoiding him that he pretended it was fine. But it wasn't and no matter what he told himself, he couldn't be alone forever.

"Earth to Picasso, stop hogging all the paint."

* * *

Jace waited outside in his front yard for his ride to arrive. Trent and Jesse were busy trying to simultaneously clean and air out The Tank. They had a gig last night and Max ate one too many burritos afterwards. His solution for an upset stomach was to chase his food down with half a bottle of tequila. Needless to say, that didn't end well for the rest of the band. While the inside of the van was completely hosed out, it still held the lingering smell of vomit. Jace watched as Jesse wrinkled his nose and held up a moldy peanut butter sandwich. It would take much more than Lysol to disinfect that vehicle. A series of short honks caused Jace to turn back towards the street.

A van was parked next to the mailbox that was almost identical to The Tank except with a nicer paint job that included flames that started at the front and blew across to the back. Shaggy was sitting in the passenger seat, his sandy blonde hair partially obscuring the top of his tinted glasses. Jenny was sitting in the driver's seat fiddling with some buttons on the console. The back door was pushed open and Daria climbed out to meet Jace. She looked excited...or as excited as she could look without smiling too much.

"Ready to hit the road?"

"No I'd rather stand here and observe the 'FOR SALE' sign across the street."

She smirked, "Let's go, smartass."

He followed her to the inside of the van which was cleaner and in much better condition than The Tank. The floor was free from wrappers and long forgotten pieces of food. The doors had all their handles and the windows weren't stuck. It even still had the backseats. Jace settled into his chair, enjoying the feeling of a cushion as opposed to the hard floor. Daria sat down next to him and rolled down her window to let in the cool, spring breeze.

Jenny started up the van and Green Day blared through the speakers.

"Alternapalooza, woo!" Shaggy called as she pulled away from the curb.

* * *

Over the next thirty minutes, Jace learned a lot about Shaggy and Jenny. Firstly, he figured out the burnouts did indeed have last names. Shaggy turned out to be just a nickname. His real name was Vince Rogers, Shaggy was a nickname given to him in middle school because of his resemblance to the character from Scooby Doo. Jenny's last name was Disher. Jenny was of course short for Jennifer (which she loathed). Shaggy lived with his grandparents only a few blocks from Jace's house. He didn't even remember his parents who apparently dropped him off when he was a few months old and never came back. Because of it, his grandparents felt guilty and got him basically whatever he wanted. "I get, like, free reign, man!" as he put it. As far as he was concerned, it was a good thing his parents abandoned him. Jenny's situation wasn't any better. She still lived with both of her parents but they fought constantly. Apparently her dad was unemployed and he had been for a few years now. Her mother worked two jobs: she was a file clerk during the day and a waitress at night. Jenny couldn't stand either of them. "Dad's a waste of space and Mom's a headcase. Lucky me." She did have a decent relationship with her older brother, Shaun, who graduated with Trent. He went to college in Upstate New York and got a degree in broadcast journalism. He helped run a big radio station which is how he got the scoop on all of the upcoming concerts and events. According to Jenny, it was "bitchin'."

"That's pretty cool."

Jenny glanced at him in the rearview mirror, "What about you? Your life must not be rainbows and kittens if you're hanging around us."

"Yeah, man. What's your story?" Shaggy asked as he tried to find a radio station that wasn't riddled with static.

Jace leaned back in his seat, "Hm, let's see. None of my family is ever together but I think I like it better that way because when we are together, it's like a nuclear explosion. It's a lethal combination, none of us should ever mix."

"I hear that." Jenny shook her head, "I swear they mixed up the babies in the hospital and my real family is much cooler."

"Hmm. An interesting theory. Maybe my mom rescued me from a burning village in Sri Lanka."

Daria laughed, "Or maybe we should just accept that we're stuck with them whether they're our biological families or not."

"Easy for you to say." Jenny rolled her eyes.

"Oh?" Daria crossed her arms, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"...It means what it means."

"And I'm asking you to elaborate."

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel, "Fine. It means that you live in a nice house, both your parents have jobs, you have nice shiny appliances and a flat screen TV. You're not doing so bad."

Jace could almost physically feel the tension building up in the small space. He hoped things wouldn't get out of hand. While he could understand Jenny's point of view, he knew there was more to Daria than the surface. He was an artist, he was used to seeing beyond face value. Sure, on the outside, it appeared that Daria was living the typical, suburban, upper middle class dream. But there was something beneath that exterior. It had only been glossed over.

"...Things look picture perfect now but they weren't..." Daria turned to face the window, "You try living in a hicktown in the middle or nowhere Texas with racists and trigger happy psychos while your mom spends every waking minute trying to make partner at some crappy little law firm."

Nobody said anything so she continued, fueled by anger and pent up resentment.

"You spend every night sitting home in your room alone while your parents scream at each other because your dad got fired and they might not be able to pay the bills anymore." She clenched her fists, "You deal with your stupid little sister who can barely look out for herself because she's too nice. You deal with the bullies and the freaks who may or may not be hiding a semi-automatic pistol in their coat pocket. Because your stupid sister doesn't understand that a group of guys don't want to be nice to her and they don't want to walk her home. You get to face five guys on your own while your little, cute, stupid sister runs home crying with snot running down her face."

Jace felt the tension weighing down on him now, nearly crushing him. He didn't know what to say. What could he say that would even matter? Daria was stone faced, her eyes still glued to the window. Jenny's face, as usual, betrayed none of her emotions. She simply kept driving down the highway with her gaze focused on the road. Shaggy was the only one who looked back at Jace with concern. They were both feeling the same way but neither of them could say a word.

"If you lived here, you'd be home by now." Daria read off a passing billboard.

"And bored out of your mind."

Jace was surprised when his comment elicited a small smile from Daria and a tiny chuckle from Jenny.

* * *

"Pull over here! I'm starving!" Shaggy pointed to an exit for a Mom's Diner.

Jace had never heard of it before. He figured it was one of those places that only existed in one small town. Like Pizza King. He hoped that the diner's food was just as good. Jenny pulled into a parking space and the four of them entered the quaint building. The inside was decorated much like a vintage soda shop with pastel colored booths, ice cream shaped neon lights on the walls, and round bar stools. The group was seated quickly thanks to the attentive staff and the availability of empty seating. Jace hoped that wasn't indicative of the quality of the food there. Jace looked over the menu with intrigue. It was all standard diner fare: all-day breakfast, hamburgers, baked potatoes. He found himself with a sudden craving for a stack of blueberry pancakes. It didn't take long for a waitress in a white apron with graying black hair and a warm smile to come take their orders. Her nametag identified her as Betty.

"What can I get you kids?"

"Meatloaf!" Shaggy said with enthusiasm. Jace frowned, he was never a meatloaf kinda guy. Mostly because his mom would add in her own elements like beans or carrots. It didn't take long for her to stop being domestic.

"I'll have a hamburger, medium-well. With fries."

It was Jace's turn, "Blueberry pancakes and uh, a vanilla milkshake."

It was a last minute addition but what started out as a comfortable day was slowly turning unbearably hot. The perfect day to be packed into an area with over ten thousand sweaty people.

Daria was the last to order, "...Dry toast and tea, please."

Jace never knew her to skip out on food. Jenny and Shaggy must've known the same because they looked equally confused.

"I thought you looked depressed. You want a booster seat?" The waitress gave a short laugh which only made Daria sour, "You kids going to that rock 'n roll shindig out near Swedesville?"

"No, we took a wrong turn on our way to Paris." Daria rolled her eyes.

Everyone laughed, including the waitress, "You've got a mouth on you, don't ya?"

Daria shrugged, "Some sources have confirmed this."

"Ever think about becoming a waitress?" She smiled and winked before going to hand in their order.

Jace was glad that didn't turn into another problem. He could tell Daria was still in a bad mood, she didn't even comment on the decor. Jenny and Shaggy were talking amongst themselves about a new level in Cannibal Frag Fest.

"Are you sure you didn't want anything else? It's gonna be a long day."

She kept her eyes on the table, "I'll be fine."

Jace sure hoped so. They still had a ride ahead of them.

* * *

"I'm going to the picnic, and I'm bringing asbestos insulation, brine shrimp, the cryogenically frozen head of Walt Disney... and a dromedary." Jenny exhaled, "Okay, your turn, Daria."

"... I'm going to the picnic, and I'm bringing asbestos insulation, brine shrimp, the cryogenically frozen head of Walt Disney, a dromedary, and... a Eurocentric view of world history."

Jace was on the spot now, "I'm going to the picnic and I'm bringing..."

He was cut off by Shaggy, "We're here!"

They were pulling into a makeshift parking lot which was really just a dirt field outside of the venue. It was already crowded so it took awhile to find a place to park. Shaggy was the first one out of the van and he sprinted across the field, his converse sneakers kicking up small clouds of dirt. Jenny shook her head at him before walking at a much more leisurely pace to the entrance gates. Jace slid open the backdoor and hopped out but Daria remained seated.

"You ready?"

"...I don't want to go anymore."

"Huh?" He looked at her, "Why not? You were stoked about this."

She looked at him and he could see how drawn and tired she was, "I just can't go in there and deal with people...I don't have the emotional capacity to deal with that right now."

"...Are you sure?"

"Positive. You go. I'm just going to stay in here."

He shook his head, "No way. I'm not leaving you out here."

She paused, "...Why?"

He climbed back into the van, "Because."

It wasn't an answer but she seemed satisfied with it. They sat in silence for a few minutes with the sound of feedback cutting through occasionally. Jace was the first to speak up.

"...What about Quinn?"

Daria snorted, "I couldn't find her even if I tried. She's with enough people. Her three devoted lapdogs will make sure she survives unharmed."

He pulled on a loose string at the bottom of his t-shirt, "...What happened? I mean, with you two?"

There was another pause but it didn't drag out for long.

"...Quinn was thirteen and I was fourteen. She stayed after school to do something for drama club one day so she got out late. I was supposed to pick her up but...I stayed at the library for a little longer. I didn't want to get her because she'd be annoying me about being tired and her backpack being too heavy." Daria sighed, "This group of guys, they were high schoolers, I think around sixteen. They offered to walk her home. She was too trusting. She couldn't tell when people were being disingenuous or when something was off. She just thought everybody loved her."

Jace watched her closely as she took a few deep breaths, clearly reaching the difficult section of the narrative.

"They wanted to steal her stuff. Everyone was pretty poor in Highland so they thought we were swimming in gold or something. I don't know what they thought she had. She didn't have anything." She closed her eyes, "Maybe they didn't want to steal from her maybe they wanted to...I don't know. But they never got to because I made it there just in time. I was their distraction, she got away. But I couldn't. By that point, they were too angry to just leave. One of them broke my glasses and somebody else punched me and I was so scared but I knew I couldn't just stand there..."

She finally turned towards Jace, "...So I managed to get out my switchblade and...I stabbed one of them. I didn't want to stab anyone, I never wanted to do that. But I was scared and I knew it would protect me because that's why my Aunt Amy gave it to me. I just...I just didn't think..."

"Hey." He tentatively placed his hand over her own, "I understand, okay?"

"I ran as fast as I could after that. It didn't matter because they knew who I was and it turned into this big, nasty court case because he was the captain of the stupid football team. We won but we couldn't stay there anymore. Not that we wanted to but I was expelled."

Jace understood that this wasn't a story routinely told. He stored away all the details and he felt like he finally had a clear picture of the girl sitting next to him.

"...Do you hate your sister?"

"No...I don't." She laced her fingers with his, "I just hate how oblivious she is. She just trusts everyone, still, to this day."

"...Maybe she doesn't trust them. Maybe she surrounds herself with so many people so she doesn't _have_ to trust anyone. To trust people, you have to let your guard down. It doesn't seem like she does that at all. I mean, she's almost never alone. There's always Tiffany, Stacy, and Sandi. And those three guys, from what you tell me."

"...I guess I never really thought of it that way."

He shrugged, "It's a theory. Give her a little more credit."

"Give Quinn credit for anything? That's a scary thought."

He saw a small smile play on the corner of her mouth, "...Does this mean you trust me?"

"Don't push it, Lane." She laughed, "Don't tell anyone I'm holding your hand either. I know where you live."

"Don't tell anyone what?"

"Smartass."

* * *

When Shaggy and Jenny returned from the mayhem, they both looked like they took a spin through a tornado. Jenny had taken off her leather jacket to reveal a black tank top and an anchor tattoo on her right shoulder. Her cheeks were red from exertion and her face was dripping with sweat. Shaggy's hair was slicked back with sweat and his glasses were broken right down the middle. Jace wasn't sure but his pants looked like they had a few extra holes now. Jenny didn't say anything when she got into the van, she just smiled. Shaggy was a buzz of energy even though he'd just braved four mosh pits and a wall of death.

"Atomic Sisters were amazing! I think my ears are still ringing! Where were you two?"

Jenny turned around in her chair to face them, "Yeah? Did you guys stay in here the whole time?" She raised an eyebrow, "Doing what?"

"Who says we were doing anything?"

Shaggy shrugged, "I don't know. A guy, a girl, in a van...alone."

Jace couldn't believe what they were implying. Him and Daria were just friends. He didn't even place any significance on the hand holding other than a friendly gesture of support. Daria made it clear that _she_ didn't think anything of it. He was sure she was gearing up for a nice comeback until he saw her face. She was _blushing_. The bright pink shade her cheeks had turned made it painfully obvious against her pale skin. She folded her arms and turned towards the window in her best attempt at hiding the obvious.

He was dumbfounded. Did she find him attractive? He knew she mentioned that Trent was cute and they did share the same DNA. But their only similarities were hair and body type. Beyond that it was hard to tell they were even related. He never paid much attention to his appearance, it was irrelevant to him what people thought of his looks. He couldn't fathom Daria ever being attracted to him. She must've just been embarrassed by the subject in general. He was a little weirded out about it himself. They were best friends, nothing more. He thought people were over that whole 'a guy and a girl can't just be friends' nonsense.

Jenny cast them both one last incredulous look before starting up the car. As they pulled back onto the highway, Jace reflected on the day. He didn't see any of the performances but overall, he had a good time. He turned when there was a sudden weight on his shoulder. Daria had fallen asleep and she was resting her head on his arm. He relaxed once he saw how peaceful she looked.

Yeah, it was a good day.


	7. Family Freakshow

**CHAPTER SIX: FAMILY FREAKSHOW**

"Lemme get this straight. You, Jake, Helen, and Princess Grace are going camping? Like in the _woods _camping?"

Daria sat cross legged on the floor watching the TV, "I hope the raging envy you're feeling won't affect our friendship."

Jace continued to stuff his suitcase with t-shirts and boxer shorts, "I do envy you. Do you know where I'll be this weekend? The Lane family reunion. Dozens of Lanes from all over the country converging in one Midwestern split-level to remind themselves why they scattered in the first place."

Jace was not looking forward to meeting up with his extended family. He didn't even like getting together with his immediate family. This year he couldn't even feign illness and stay home. His parents already bought the plane tickets for him and Trent to fly to Indiana for two days so they could be ignored in somebody else's house for a change.

"Okay, you've got me beat."

He zipped up his suitcase, "I'd take the woods any day. Hell, I'll take it right now. Please, take me out into the woods and forget me. I'll be like Tarzan."

She smirked, "I don't think that works when you're sixteen. The wildlife will reject you and tear you limb from limb."

"How is that different from this family reunion exactly?"

* * *

The early morning sun was streaming in through the small window on the passenger plane much to Jace's annoyance. He was wearing a pair of square, dark tinted sunglasses but they did little to mask the sun's cheerful rays. He was exhausted and the plane hadn't even left the runway. He was up bright and early at 5:30 and then he had to wake Trent which was a feat in itself. They barely made it to the airport in time. Jace secretly wished they had missed the flight so they could go home and he could spend the weekend sleeping. Unfortunately, they were lucky for once. Trent lounged in the seat next to him with a matching pair of sunglasses and headphones. He was snoring loudly and Jace wasn't about to sit through that the entire flight.

"Trent!" He pulled out one of his earphones, "TRENT!"

He jumped up, "Officer, it's not even my car!" He blinked, "Oh, Jace. What is it?"

"We need a plan. I'm not arriving without a plan."

"Hey, I already thought of that. As soon as we get there, we find a bar, and we don't leave it until we're unconscious."

Jace smiled, "I'm all for that. However, they probably won't serve me seeing as I'm a minor. AND you getting trashed will just resort in you telling off half of the family before puking and passing out."

Trent frowned, "Right. Bad idea. Don't want to be honest with Aunt Ellie about her vacation pictures."

"Or cousin Jimmy about his 'modeling' career."

"Or Aunt Bernice about her hats."

Jace was drawing a blank, "Who's Aunt Bernice?"

"You know, from Middlebury?" He scratched his chin, "She wears those straw hats. Thinks they're country or something. They look like the kind they put on horses to keep the sun off their heads."

Jace started to chuckle until he noticed a pudgy, gray haired woman wearing a hat that looked _exactly _like the one Trent described sitting next to them. She was giving them both a beady eyed stare with her mouth pressed into a thin line. Jace got the feeling that their luck just ran out.

"...You say she's from Middlebury?"

"Yep."

"So, we'd be flying out of the same airport."

Trent shrugged, "Yeah. Jace, what's your point?"

Trent lifted his sunglasses and rested them on top of his head. It was then that he noticed the woman sitting to his left.

"Um...hey Aunt Bernice." He quickly lowered his sunglasses, "I love your hat."

Jace ignored the grumbling from her and turned towards the window before letting his eyes close. Maybe this was all just a bad dream and he'd wake up soon wrapped in his warm blankets far away from his family.

* * *

The Sloatstown International Airport was one rundown building with a runway that didn't look suitable for any plane. The area surrounding it was a dirt field with a parking lot that had only four spaces and a tilted sign that read: "BUSES/TAXIS/MASS TRANSIT". Jace couldn't believe they had a bus terminal or a taxi service. Sloatstown was a dump. Trent ran a hand over the back of his neck before gazing up and down the empty road.

"Do you see any buses or taxis?"

Jace shook his head, "I see no mass transit of any kind."

"Well, we have no way to the party."

"We gave it our best shot. Might as well turn around and go back home."

As soon as the words left Jace's mouth, the lone airport worker changed the sign in the window to 'CLOSED'. The plane that they just exited took off, meaning they were stranded. Jace almost wanted to cry. Trent seemed to be thinking of something when a small silver car started to approach them. Trent leaned forward.

"Hey! That's Aunt Bernice!"

He waved wildly to get her attention. She slowed down the car, flipped them both the middle finger, honked, and then sped away. Jace sat down in the dirt, not caring if he ruined his jeans.

"Maybe if we sit here we'll get lucky and die of heat stroke."

Trent placed a hand on his shoulder, "Let's go, J. I guess we're walking."

Too tired to argue, Jace scrambled back to his feet and followed Trent down the road. They were lucky Sloatstown was so small otherwise they'd be walking for miles. They passed a long stretch of cornfields and crops of wheat before they happened upon a large, colonial style white house. The driveway and the street were already cluttered with cars of all makes and models. The brothers shuffled their way to the front door, already prepared for the worst.

"We walk in and meet them straight on." Trent ran a hand through his spiky black hair, "We don't let them intimidate us."

"Of course." Jace rang the doorbell, "But it's never too late to head back."

"We might be able to catch the next flight...if we hurry."

The door was thrown open revealing a petite blonde woman in a designer dress wearing a diamond pendant necklace and mauve lipstick. Her smile faltered once she realized who was outside.

"...Jace. Trent. I should've known you'd come looking like this."

She wrinkled her nose in displeasure at their clothes before stepping away from the door and ushering them inside. The inside of the house was decorated with balloons and streamers, it looked more like a children's birthday party than a reunion. Two tables were set up displaying a wide variety of food. Jace was hungry but the sight of all of his family made him queasy. It wasn't enough to be ignored by his own parents, he had to be shunned and ostracized by the rest of the Lanes too. He couldn't understand why they treated him like garbage. They hated Vincent and Amanda so the kids were fair game? It was bogus. He knew he'd hear a comment about his clothes and one about his hair and probably one about the way he spoke. They'd cut him down at every angle. He glanced at Trent who was looking just as uncomfortable as he did. He wondered if Daria was having a better time than he was.

* * *

Jace sat on the uncomfortable sofa with a glass of punch while a woman he didn't recognize asked him a ton of questions. He didn't want to talk, he wanted her to leave him alone.

"How's your sister, Penny?"

_How the hell should I know? I haven't seen her since April, _"I think she's a little disappointed in the Mexican job market. She may try Nicaragua next."

"And your brother, Wind?"

_Has he gotten in trouble for bigamy yet? What number is he up to now? Five?_, " He's thinking about getting remarried...if he can just figure out whether his divorces were legal."

She forced a laugh, "How about your sister, Summer?"

He was done being cordial and decided for outright sarcasm, "You know, the private detectives found three out of her four kids."

"Really!"

He was done talking to people that didn't give a rat's ass about him or any of his siblings. He stood up, "Excuse me."

He needed to find Trent so they could get the hell out of there. He didn't care if they were supposed to stay until Sunday. There was no way he'd spend the night in a disgusting, flea ridden hotel and even that beat staying here. He wanted to go home. He was sure Trent felt the same way, he was just a little less vocal about it. Jace spotted Trent across the room sitting at a table which was covered with alcohol, most of the containers were empty. He quickened his pace, hoping Trent didn't go with his earlier plan and down as much beer as he could. As he got closer, he saw a balding man with an arm draped over Trent's shoulder, his face flushed a deep red. Jace let out the breath he was holding. Crisis avoided, at least for the time being.

"Cuz you're a bum! You're a lousy bum! You're a rotten bum! You remind me of myself! You know why?"

Jace could see the aggravation and anger held in Trent's dark eyes but his face betrayed nothing. He always envied how he could seem composed even in the worst situations. It was a quality he tried to pick up on.

"Because I'm a bum." He muttered.

The man, Uncle Max as Jace recalled, started to laugh before he grabbed another beer and spilled half of it down the front of his suit jacket. Before Jace could make his way over to retrieve his brother, he felt a tug on his pant leg. He looked down to see his grandmother, seated in her wheelchair, with her wire-rimmed glasses sliding down the bridge of her crooked nose. He took another deep breath before kneeling down to face her. He always heard kids talk about how their grandmother's baked them cookies or told them crazy stories about their childhood. All his grandmother ever did was berate him and make him clean out her cramped attic.

"Jace?"

"Yes, Grandma?"

She coughed, "Come closer."

He sighed but leaned forward a little, "Yes, Grandma?"

"Closer."

He moved a few more inches, "Yes, Grandma?"

"A little closer, Jace."

He was right next to her face now, much closer than he wished to be, "...Yes, Grandma?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she shouted, directly into his ear.

He winced and pulled back, not even bothering to ask what she was referring to. He needed to get the hell out of there.

* * *

Jace didn't succeed in Project Let's Get Out Of Here And Never Come Back. He was accosted by a surly uncle with a handlebar mustache, antagonized by his younger cousins who took to calling him 'Gay J', and repeatedly told what lousy wastes his parents were by one of his aunts. He was thoroughly pissed off and he couldn't even have the comfort of a bed. He was cramped up on a pullout couch in one of the many rooms with springs sticking into his lower back. His legs barely fit so he ended up in the fetal position. He'd be feeling it in the morning.

"Hey, Jace." Trent's hushed whisper caused him to turn though he couldn't see in the pitch darkness. He knew he was somewhere on the floor a few feet away from him with a blanket and a pillow.

"Yeah?"

"Do you feel weird sharing a room?"

Jace didn't see the big deal, "No, we've done it before."

"Yeah...but not really like this."

"Could you guys keep it down?" A shrill, female voice cut through their conversation.

"Ow, watch it!" A decidedly younger sounding, girlish voice broke out as well.

"Sorry, I thought you were a pillow."

"I wasn't talking to you!"

"Wait, were you talking to me?" A groggy male voice whispered, punctuated by yawns.

"Yeah, who else?! Ow, watch it!"

Jace grabbed a couch cushion and shoved it over his head. Five people to a room was a little excessive given the sheer size of the house. He suspected they were sequestered off to the reject room with the rest of the black sheep. He pressed the cushion down harder over his face. Maybe he could suffocate himself.

* * *

Jace adjusted his sunglasses and yawned loudly as Trent stretched his arms over his head and grunted. It was too early for him to be awake, yet again. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, a clear indicator that he should've still been in bed. He couldn't sleep with all the whispering, snoring, and random thumps going on throughout the night. He was too tired for this. Unfortunately, neither him nor Trent had a say in the matter. All the Lanes were to wake up at the same exact time, no exceptions. There wasn't even any coffee.

"Jace...what time is it?" Trent murmured with his head face down on the table.

"How should I know? Even if I could manage to get my watch on at this hour, my eyes are too blurry to read it."

The same woman that asked Jace about Summer, Penny, and Wind waltzed into the room and said, much too loudly, "It's seven o'clock, dear! We're getting an early start because today's the family croquet tournament!"

"J, it's seven o'clock on a Saturday...and we're awake."

Jace groaned, "Soon the wooden balls will begin clacking. Clack...clack."

"We have to get out of here."

Jace tilted his chair back dangerously far, "There is no escape. We're trapped."

Just then, a group of their cousins came running into the kitchen, knocking into Jace's chair and sending him sprawling to the floor. He banged his head on the edge of the counter and instead of standing up, curled up on the floor.

"This is it. This is truly the end."

"...Not so fast. I've got a plan." Trent said, pulling a set of keys out of his back pocket.

* * *

Jace was never more happy to see Lawndale in his life. Trent was sneaky enough to snag Aunt Bernice's keys when she was filling her plate with food, so the rental car became their property. They crept out the back door and ran as fast as they could to the car and then it was on a plane away from Sloatstown, hopefully forever. Jace dropped his suitcase on the bedroom floor and jumped onto his bed, enjoying the faint paint smell that lingered around his room. His lumpy mattress never felt more comfortable. He was prepared to catch up on sleep but there was one person he actually wanted to speak to. He dialed a few numbers, not sure she was even home yet.

"Hello?" Daria was, for once, the first person to answer the telephone.

"Yo."

He heard ice dropping into a glass, "What are you doing home?"

"What are you?"

"Well" she poured something into the glass, "My family went crazy from eating psychotropic berries, so we were evacuated from the woods and they had their stomachs pumped."

Now it made sense why she was the one picking up the phone. Everyone else was probably still recovering. He thought about Helen running around the woods, tripping out, and stifled a laugh.

"Sounds fun." He leaned back against a pillow, "My family was already crazy without any berries, so Trent and I evacuated ourselves to the airport in my aunt's rental car and flew the hell out of there."

"Anything else new?"

"Nah. You?"

"Of course not. Man, we're boring."

He smiled, "You're the exact opposite of boring."

She paused, "...Thanks?"

He glanced at the clock sitting on his end table, "I need to sleep, jet lag. You up for pizza later?"

"Make it Chinese and you have yourself a deal."

"Done. See ya."

"Bye."

He hung up and yanked the blankets over his head, not bothering to change into his pajamas. He dreamed of the Morgendorffers prancing through the woods like oversized elves with the exception of Daria who floated above them, smiling.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been writing a lot of chapters. I have plenty saved already. I don't want to inundate any of you by posting excessively so I'm trying to post maybe once or twice a week. I'm moving in two weeks, however, and I wanted to finish this before I get busy with packing/life things. Worst case scenario is I put this on hiatus until I can post at a normal pace. Best case is I just upload them all and you can read at your own leisure. Still haven't decided. **


	8. To The Endzone And Beyond

**CHAPTER EIGHT: TO THE ENDZONE AND BEYOND**

Jace smudged some charcoal with his finger and finished up the sketch he was doing of Jenny, who was asleep on the grass in front of him and Daria.

"What's with this football jerk everyone keeps talking about?"

Jace placed down his sketchpad, "He was quarterback three years ago, Trent had some classes with him. He helped the Lawndale Lions win the state championship."

"Wow, why name the goal posts after him?" She widened her eyes in mock appreciation, "Why not the whole field?"

Jace held up his index finger, "Goal _post_. Singular. Anyway, he always had to run the touchdown himself but he was so arrogant that he needed to wave to the crowd at the same time. Crowd went crazy, Tommy waved, then SMACK! Right into the post, face first."

"What an intelligent young man."

Jace nodded, "He broke his own nose twice."

"Maybe we can get Kevin to break that record."

"But I'm not finished. In the playoffs, a week before the state championship, he scored the winning touchdown and hit the goal post so hard he cracked his helmet. He was unconscious for six days. Miraculously, he woke up the night before the big game feeling great. The next day, he led the team to victory."

Daria placed a hand over her heart, "A true American hero."

"Exactly. So now the school's decided to get a breakaway goal post so nobody else cracks their skull."

"Let me guess, there's only one because Headmaster Li is too cheap for both?"

"Bingo." Jace looked over to see a petite black girl with shoulder-length box braids approaching them nervously, "And here comes the lucky student council member who will name it after good 'ol Tommy Sherman."

"I didn't ask to do this. Uh, Daria, do you think you could help me out?"

Daria scratched her head, "Jodie, why ever would I do that?"

"You're one of the best writers in our grade. I just need someone to listen to the introduction. I'm stuck."

Daria sighed but motioned for Jodie to sit down, "One time deal, Landon."

Jodie sat down on the grass in the middle of them, careful not to disturb Jenny, "Good afternoon, students, faculty, and distinguished alumni of Lawndale High. As a representative of your Student Council..." Any ideas?"

"It is my privilege today to once again send the message that learning is no substitute for winning." Daria boasted proudly, with a smirk at the end.

Jace cleared his throat, "And that it's not how hard you study, it's how hard you play **football**." He shrugged, "Then you could throw in some guttural noises and grunts for that authentic football player feel."

Jodie rolled her eyes before standing up, "Why did I expect any help from you guys?"

"I don't know. Maybe you bumped your head this morning." Daria looked at her, "If you don't want to give the speech then don't do it."

"I'm on the Student Council. It's a job with many responsibilities, and today it's my responsibility to kiss the butt of some jerk getting a goal post named after him, but at least now I feel really good about it." She stormed off, not slowing down even when her boyfriend called after her.

"Was it something I said?"

* * *

Jace shoved textbooks into his locker but his eyes were focused on the muscular, sandy haired guy leaning against the lockers on the opposite side of the hall. His green eyes scrutinized every person that walked by, especially the females. His crooked nose, clearly the result of multiple injuries, gave him away as the infamous Tommy Sherman. Jace rolled his eyes and continued to switch out his books. The guy carried himself with an air of importance that made Jace want to puke. He was a high school football star, not Leonardo DiCaprio. Brittany Taylor exited a classroom and was about to make her way down the hall but Tommy blocked her exit.

"Hello, beautiful. I see one thing about Lawndale football has improved a lot since I was unanimously voted most valuable player: the cheerleaders." He told Brittany's boobs.

"You're Tommy Sherman!" She squealed.

He chuckled, "You know your sports."

"My boyfriend's Kevin Thompson. He's quarterback of the team. He worships you!"

He continued to stare at her chest, "That's great. Listen, they're putting me up at the Lawndale Manor. Why don't we head back there, order you some champagne, get horizontal, and you can find out just how big a hero I am."

Jace almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was propositioning Brittany right in the middle of the hallway. Clearly, he had no shame and a dangerously over-inflated ego. He also didn't seem to have a problem taking underage girls back to his hotel room. Jace slammed his locker, disgusted. He should've left for the cafeteria but he was still listening to the conversation going on between Brittany and Tommy. He wanted to hear what else that dirtball would come up with.

"Didn't you hear what I said? My boyfriend is your biggest fan?" Brittany was giving him a stern look, clearly not falling for any of his tricks.

"What are you telling me? He wants to watch? I don't know..."

Brittany gasped and slapped him across the face before stomping off. Jace was glad that she was smart enough to see what a jerk he was but he wished she didn't have to deal with him. Tommy rubbed his cheek but looked undeterred.

"What? Did someone flash the bimbo signal or something?" He called after her.

_Mature, _Jace thought, rolling his eyes again. Racing up the hall was Kevin Thompson and a broad shoulder black male with short dreadlocks, Mack Mackenzie. Kevin stopped right in front of Tommy Sherman who looked aggravated that his view of another girl at the water fountain was blocked by the football player. Mack stood by, not looking thrilled.

"Tommy Sherman!" Kevin's eyes were as big as saucers.

"That's my name. Don't wear it out."

"I'm your biggest fan!"

He snorted, "I doubt that."

"I'm Kevin Thompson. This is Michael Jordan Mackenzie."

"You've gotta be kidding me."

Mack cast Tommy a dour look, "It was Michael James Mackenzie, but Dad went to a Bulls playoff game when I was 12 and then he changed it."

"That's sick, dude!" He laughed, none too nicely, "So what, you guys on the intramural squad or something?"

Kevin shook his head, "Varsity, man! I'm the QB!"

Tommy broke into a bout of laughter and Kevin watched before joining in uncertainly. Mack only shook his head.

"Why are YOU laughing?"

Kevin scratched his head, "Uh, why are you?"

"Because I'm picturing a scrawny, weakling like you trying to play for some third-rate junior college getting your ass handed to you every game."

"Oh yeah." Kevin smiled, "That's funny."

Mack patted his shoulder, "No. It's not. Let's go."

Jace had seen enough. He grabbed his backpack and hoisted it over his shoulder before heading to lunch. Tommy Sherman was a grade A asshole.

* * *

Daria was telling Jace about the two idiots she used to hang around in Highland when he noticed Tommy Sherman again, taking up his favorite spot against another locker bank. Jace just couldn't seem to get away from him. Daria eyed him wearily as he openly stared at a group of girls across the hall.

"Excuse me."

He turned around to face her and he took a good amount of time looking her up and down, "You're kidding, right? Well, maybe if you ditch the glasses we can talk."

Jace bristled, he couldn't talk to her like that. Daria raised an eyebrow before dropping her backpack on the ground. Jace knew it was going to get very ugly, very fast.

"Trust me, I don't want to talk to you."

"Yeah right. You said 'excuse me'."

She pointed, "You're on my locker. I suggest you move."

He stood up straighter, sticking out his chest, "Do you know who I am? Tommy Sherman?"

"Oh, I know who you are. I know the whole school's turning itself inside out because of some egotistical football player, and I've seen you insult or proposition just about everyone you come across, so my guess is that you're the football player guy. Congratulations, you must have worked very hard to become such a colossal jerk so quickly."

He looked like he wanted to curse her out but he simply backed away, "You know what Tommy Sherman's going to do now? He's going to go out onto the field and check out his new goal post. He's going to read the plaque and think of all the people who admire him. But you wouldn't know anything about that. You're one of those misery chicks, always moping about what a cruel world it is, making a big deal about it so people won't notice that you're a loser."

He turned away and walked off and Daria scoffed before entering her locker combination, "Darn, and just when I was getting excited."

Jace looked from her to the doors Tommy just exited, "I don't think you made a good impression."

She opened her locker and started to pull out books, "That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that jerk is going to be treated like a hero for the rest of this life."

"Who says he'll live that long?"

Daria smirked and opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by loud shouting.

"Oh, my God! The goal post fell! Tommy Sherman's dead! He's dead!"

Jace felt his stomach drop to the floor.

* * *

Jace decided not to walk home with Daria. He couldn't. His own words were echoing inside his head. _"Who says he'll live that long?" _Why did he say that?! He was actually wishing the creep was dead when he saw him insulting Brittany, Kevin, especially when he messed with Daria. He was thinking, 'people like him don't deserve anything but pain and misery'. And now he was dead. Six feet underground. Dead, dead, dead. Jace felt hollow and empty and terrible. He had wished him dead and now he was dead. He pushed himself harder, running through the Village Green, past the statue of Mr. No Name. Sweat was running down his back and his lungs were screaming but he couldn't stop, he had to keep going. He wanted to run out of his body and leave himself behind. He felt sickened by himself. He joked about death all the time. He developed a morbid sense of humor at a young age. But this jarred him. He joked about it and now he was dead. He said it and now he was dead. _So you wish it, so shall it be. _He shuddered and ran faster. No, he took it back. It wasn't funny. He didn't mean it. He pleaded to whatever God would listen. _It wasn't my fault. I didn't mean it._ His legs finally gave up and he collapsed near a park bench, gasping for air with flushed cheeks. Death wasn't so funny after all.

* * *

"Yeah right. I can't believe the way people are reacting. I mean, yeah, it's terrible what happened, but it's not as if he was nice to anyone. They're acting like they lost a friend."

Jace held the phone as he laid in bed, sprawled across his back like he had for the past three hours. Didn't she get it? All of that stuff didn't matter anymore because Tommy Sherman was dead and buried. He **was** a jerk but **now** he was dead. Jace couldn't understand how she was okay. The same girl that freaked out when Mrs. Johansson passed out was unaffected by a real life death. He wanted to talk to Daria because he was feeling scared and confused but clearly, she didn't feel the same way.

"Wow, Daria. Nothing gets through to you does it?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He turned to face the wall, "A guy died and you're talking about what a jerk he was."

She paused, "...I just...look do you still wanna get pizza? An extra large pepperoni, my treat."

"I'm going running." It was a lie, he didn't plan on leaving his bed.

"After?" She sounded hopeful, a touch upset. He thought about apologizing for how rude he sounded but he was too emotionally exhausted.

"I don't know, it's going to be a long run. See you later."

He hung up the phone and stared up at his ceiling. He used to think of death as this abstract concept, something far away in the distance that he could imagine but not see. Now, it was right in his face, staring him down. It was all around him, breathing down his neck, waking him in the middle of the night. What if he was next? If Tommy Sherman could be gone just like that, what was preventing him from walking outside and getting hit by a car? What about the people close to him? What about Trent? What about the rest of his family? What about Daria? He closed his eyes and tried to push the thoughts away as tears stung his eyes. Why did he have to go and die? Why couldn't he just get hit in the head and be fine like all those other times? Jace pulled the blankets over his head and willed himself to sleep.

* * *

Jace sketched furiously as Pink Floyd played quietly through his headphones. He slept for an hour before deciding to do what he always did when he couldn't get control of his emotions: pour them into his artwork. He was starting to feel a lot better. Every stroke of his pencil was like another bit of anxiety floating away. A light knock echoed from his door and he took off his headphones, stopping his CD. He figured it was Trent.

"Yo! Come in!"

He didn't expect to see Daria enter the room. She was watching him closely, her dark brown eyes full of hurt.

"Are you avoiding me?"

He bit his lip, "Uh...not anymore?"

She sat down on the edge of his bed, "What's going on?"

"Nothing." He turned away, "I just haven't felt like talking to anybody."

"I'm not anybody!" He winced at the pain in her voice, "...And I'd like someone to talk to."

He forced himself to look at her again, "But you've been talking to everyone."

From Mr. O'Neill to Brittany Taylor, everyone had gone to Daria for advice. They normally avoided her like the plague but for some reason they saw her as some beacon of knowledge about pain and tragedy.

"No. Everyone's been talking to _me_. There's a difference."

He could see her point. But he thought about their earlier conversation on the phone, "What do you want to talk about? You don't care anyway."

"How can you say that?!" He frowned when he saw her hands shaking.

"Uh, well..." He swallowed hard, "You've been treating it like just another day. Daria, that guy _died_."

"I know he died! I'm sorry he died! But I'm not going to pretend that he was some great person when he wasn't. People aren't upset because Tommy Sherman died, they're upset because _they're_ going to die."

Her last comment hit Jace right in the chest...because it was true. He was just using Tommy Sherman as a glimpse into his own mortality. He wasn't mourning his death. He was worrying about his own.

"...That's understandable."

She ran a hand through her hair, "Okay, but you know what I've been hearing? "You know how I feel, Daria. You're gloomy. I knew I can talk to you, Daria. You're always miserable." Tragedy hits the school and everyone thinks of me. A popular guy died, and now I'm popular because I'm the misery chick. But I'm **not** miserable. I'm just not like them."

"It really makes you think."

She scowled and stood up, "Thanks a lot. Asshole."

"Hey! Wait! What they mean to say is, you're always thinking. You're always thinking about these kinds of things and maybe that's why you're so grumpy. I mean that in a good way. Tommy Sherman died and it's made me think too much and I didn't know what to do. I wish I could figure out how you do it."

"...Is that why you've been avoiding me?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I've been trying not to think but it wasn't working. I mean, I made a joke about it and then he really dies."

She sat back down, "It was a freak accident. Not your fault."

"Yeah, well, I don't like it when I say people should die and then they do. I don't want that kind of responsibility." He waited, "At least not until I've got a job in middle management."

She looked at him, "You didn't make him die."

"You're not the misery chick."

She tugged on her jacket sleeve, "Alright."

"Alright."

"...He shouldn't have died."

He nodded, "No."

"But he wasn't a nice person."

"Definitely not."

She turned towards the door, "Did Trent know you were in here?"

"I told him to tell anyone the stopped by that I was out running. What a surprise, he forgot."

She gave him a small smile, "No he didn't."


	9. ReflectionDeflection

**CHAPTER NINE: REFLECTION/DEFLECTION**

Jace was taken aback when he got a phone call from Shaggy on Saturday afternoon. He wasn't planning on doing anything productive that day. He had a sculpture to finish up but he ran out of hot glue sticks. There was the option of going to the art supply store himself but lying around in his boxers sounded more appealing. He was starting to doze off when the phone rang out.

"Yo."

"Hey, man. It's Shaggy."

"What's up?" Jace was used to getting calls from Daria but nobody else usually phoned him.

"You busy today? I was thinking of hitting the park."

Jace thought about it. It wasn't like he was doing anything but vegetating in his bedroom. Plus, Daria was off being a bridesmaid in her cousin's wedding. If Shaggy wanted to hang out with him then he'd hang out. It would be a welcome change hanging out with another guy for once.

"Yeah, sure. Why not? Meet you there?"

"Sweet. Sounds good, man."

* * *

High Hills Park wasn't that far from Lawndale High and it housed a bunch of picnic tables, two tennis courts, and an area that was usually occupied by guys playing touch football. Jace was more familiar with the rumors about cults using the field overnight for séances. He didn't know how true it was or who started it but he'd seen a few strange symbols carved into oak trees. Whether they were satanic or just crude etchings done by kids, he didn't know. Besides that, High Hills Park wasn't anything special. Jace was sketching a flock of geese when Shaggy loped over to him holding a box of donuts.

"Whatcha drawing?"

Jace shrugged as Shaggy sat down on the other side of picnic table, "Nothing special. Birds."

"That's pretty cool, dude. I got donuts. They're, like, a little stale but that's why they were discounted."

"Tastes fine to me." Jace said as he bit into a chocolate glazed donut.

Shaggy grabbed a powdered donut, "So, like, no Daria?"

"She's at a wedding. Why?"

"Nothing, dude. You two are just, like, always together. Like conjoined twins or something."

Jace wouldn't compare them to conjoined twins. They weren't connected at the hip. They weren't together all the time either. He didn't think they were around each other anymore than normal.

"I think it's cool, man, ya know."

"Uh, yeah. Where's Jenny?"

Shaggy took another donut, "She's at her girlfriend's."

"Girlfriend?" Jace didn't picture Jenny being the dating type. He didn't know she was into girls either. Then again, he didn't know that much about her. She was pretty private about her life.

"Yeah she lives, like, an hour away. She doesn't see her much cause of, ya know, school or whatever."

"That kinda sucks."

"...You and Daria really aren't dating, dude?"

Jace's mouth felt dry and it wasn't because of the powdered donut he'd been eating. He tried not to think too hard about his friendship with Daria. He liked being around her and they always had a good time. That was as far as he took that line of thought. But,he was put on the spot and he had no choice but to evaluate it further. Daria was the coolest girl he'd ever met. She was also his first good friend so that had a large impact on how he viewed her. She wasn't like everybody else. Besides her personality, she was pretty. He would never admit that to her because she was already self-conscious about those sorts of things. She pretended she didn't care but he could tell she purposefully drew attention away from herself. He was around her enough that she couldn't hide it from him. He saw her up close on plenty of occasions. She had the kind of eyes that pulled you in so you had no choice but to listen. He valued her company and her opinions more than anyone else. She was important to him, that much was obvious. But he had to admit that there was something more. He had a crush, a small one, but one nonetheless. He definitely wasn't going to tell Shaggy or anybody else. He didn't need to complicate anything.

"No. We're just friend."

* * *

"By the time Aunt Amy and I got back, Mom and Aunt Rita were drunk and crying. You would've loved it."

Rich smiled as he finished making a sandwich, "Sounds like a good time. I've gotta meet this Aunt Amy."

"I told her about you."

Rich didn't know why he was so surprised, "Really? Only good things, I hope."

"I told her that you were my helpless slave." She laughed, "She wants to visit soon so maybe you can ask her yourself."

Rich was interested in meeting the aunt Daria talked so highly about. It was a far cry from how she described the other members of her family. He was also curious about what she told her about him. Despite his efforts, he couldn't forget what he discovered earlier. He wondered if Daria felt the same way about him. Certainly, she would've told her aunt. He wasn't sure if he'd ever find out but he was willing to try.

"I might take you up on that offer. My own aunts are pretty terrible so I can't offer the same to you."

"I've heard enough of your horror stories to be fine with that. Speaking of family, are your parents back from parts unknown yet?"

He rolled his eyes, "My mom is. She's in the basement working on the pottery wheel. Dad is Dad so he probably won't be back for the next few months."

"Quinn, I'm using the phone!" He heard her yell through the muffled speaker, "I'm sorry to cut this conversation short but there's only one phone in this hotel room and my sister will have a heart attack if I don't hang up."

"Oh, but we were just getting to the interesting part of the conversation. The part where I rant and rave about the benign neglect that's been inflicted upon me before I dissolve into a puddle of tears."

"I'd hate to miss-Quinn! I'm not done!"

"Well, tell your little boyfriend you'll call him back later! Sheesh, it's not like you don't see him ALL the time!"

"You see your friends all the time."

Jace could tell both of them had forgotten he was even on the phone. He thought about hanging up but he was interested in seeing where the conversation was headed.

He heard Quinn sigh, "It's hardly the same thing, Daria. Why do you think I keep a dating rotation? You shouldn't be seen with the same guy for too long unless you're going steady."

"Thank you, Quinn, for that unsolicited advice. I'll keep that in mind in case I ever turn into a deluded redhead who reads Waif magazines like a religious practice." Daria cleared her throat, "Now, if you'll excuse me, me and my FRIEND were talking."

"What about her heart attack?"

"She'll live." He could still her Quinn complaining in the background, "Anyway, what did you do today?"

"Well, I-"

"Hello, sunshine." Amanda Lane walked into the kitchen holding a completed clay vase painted with vines and leaves. At least, she called it a vase even though there was no opening on top for flowers. She placed in on the counter before walking over to ruffle Jace's hair. He frowned but he didn't move away. She still treated him like he was six years old sometimes. It varied between that and ignoring him completely which baffled him. She treated parenting like she treated her life: whatever entered her mind first is what she did. He rested the receiver against his shoulder.

"Hey, Mom."

She got herself a glass of water and stood by the sink next to him, "Where's Trent? I haven't see him in awhile."

"Probably holing himself up for the long winter." He looked up towards the ceiling, "I think I heard him foraging around in his room a few minutes ago."

"Hm, alright. I wanted to read his aura too. I'll just have to stop him later. What about you, sunshine?"

Oh boy, Jace thought. His mom just got back from a commune in Bakersville and she learned all about crystals and chakras. She was on this meditation kick and she wanted to read their auras so she could "heal" and "cleanse" them. Jace wasn't sure what he had to be cleansed of but he wasn't interested.

"Uh...actually, Mom...I'm kinda busy...on the phone."

"Who are you talking to?" She asked, her blue eyes focused on his face.

He wasn't used to her asking questions. She was really into this crystal thing, wasn't she?

"Um, Daria."

She brightened, "Oh! You should invite her over."

Jace wasn't used to this at all. It was a little weird and slightly unnerving. Daria had never met his mother before. He was a little worried about how she would take her. He also didn't want his mom trying to wave around crystals or tell stories about his childhood. She had a penchant for starting with his most embarrassing moments. She thought they showed "true character". If that was the case, he feared for his future.

"She's not home right now." He hoped that would be enough to get her to move on.

"Tomorrow then! I'd love to meet her."

He wanted to lie and say she was busy but the genuine smile on his mom's face made him cave, "...Sure."

He returned to the phone, "Uh, do you want to hang out tomorrow? After you get back?"

"Ugh, you're still here?! Jeeze, you two are, like, so weird." Quinn huffed, "Daria's in the bathroom right now but I guess I can pass your message along."

He highly doubted she would do that. It didn't matter too much because that way he could tell his mom she got tied up in something. No harm done.

"Thanks, Daria's sister." He heard her grumble and he smiled. He only did that to tick her off. She seriously thought he didn't know her name. Served her right for calling Daria her cousin at school. He hung up the phone and turned to find his mother gone, probably back to her kiln.

He was glad she forgot about his "healing session". He had an oil painting to finish.

* * *

When the doorbell rang the next afternoon, Jace had already forgotten about inviting Daria over. His Mom didn't mention it again and so it went to the back of his mind. He raced downstairs with his hands covered in bright blue paint. He didn't mind getting dirty if it meant he got the right affect. He usually tried to clean up before doing anything else but Trent was in a deep sleep no doorbell could threaten. His mom was still in the basement and he could hear the faint sound of Janis Joplin playing. He opened the front door, making a mental note to clean the paint off the doorknob later.

"You don't look ready." Daria was shaking her head at him.

Jace looked down at his paint stained sweatpants and baggy t-shirt, "I may have forgotten that I invited you over..."

"You're clearly uh, busy." She nodded towards his paint covered hands, "I can go if you want."

He was about to say no when his mom appeared next to him. Daria considered her for a moment.

"...You must be Mrs. Lane."

"Please, call me Amanda." She smiled, "And you must be Daria. It's great to finally meet you. Jace is very quiet about his social life but whenever I call, he's out with you. You must be a very special person."

Jace placed a hand on his head. Let the humiliation begin.

"Hm, I guess I'm pretty special."

Amanda let Daria inside and she gave Jace a confused look. He could only shrug and hope she wouldn't broach the subject again. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about what his Mom was talking about. That would only lead to asking him what was so special about her and he didn't want to go down that road. Not now anyway.

"...I should go, uh, wash up." Jace made his way upstairs and hoped he could be back down before his mom said anything else potentially damaging. He was washing his hands in the bathroom sink when Trent lumbered in half-asleep. He made his way over to the toilet without any regards to Jace's presence.

"Hey! I'm still in here."

"Huh?" Trent glanced over at him, "Oh. Sorry, J."

Jace quickly dried his hands off on a towel, "I'm out of here."

"Wait, is Mom still on about that crystal thing?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Trent yawned, "If she asks, I'm still asleep."

"Will do." Jace was sure that by the time he told his Mom, Trent really would be asleep. He left Trent to finish his business and made his way back downstairs. He could hear his Mom and Daria talking in the kitchen. He walked in on the end of the conversation.

"He didn't wear clothes until he turned four the next year. Jace is a free-spirit at heart, he just channels it into his artwork now."

Daria looked fascinated but Jace knew her well enough to know that this would be blackmail. His mom was already talking about his naked phase. He was a toddler! He sat down at the table across from Daria who gave him a sly smirk. Jace was desperate to stop his mom's reminiscing so he had to react fast. He ended up digging himself an even bigger hole.

"Uh, Mom, what about my...uh...aura thing?"

She jumped up, "I almost forgot! Wait here!"

He relaxed momentarily while she rushed upstairs. Then, he realized that he would actually have to sit through the whole process, whatever that entailed.

_Fantastic._

* * *

Daria laid on the couch while his mother held a rose quartz above her forehead. Jace did not expect Daria to volunteer first. He didn't even know she wanted to do this in the first place. His earlier apprehension disappeared once he saw how serious his Mom was about it.

"Your aura is very mossy. It signifies jealousy and resentment. You may have feelings of insecurity or low self-confidence. You could also be feeling like a victim of the world, maybe dealing with some unresolved tension."

Jace saw Daria tense up, "The rose quartz is perfect for healing the mind. It can help balance your emotions and promote stability."

His mom let her sit up before placing the crystal in her hand, " can keep this."

"...Thank you." She closed her fingers over it, "I don't really know how to use it."

Amanda smiled, "For you, I'd suggest wearing it. Now, it's your turn, sunshine.

Jace still wasn't looking forward to this. He didn't believe in all the spiritual nonsense. He certainly wouldn't carry a crystal around all day or start meditating like his Mom did every morning. He channeled his energy into more expressive avenues. Plus, it would cut into his TV watching time. He reluctantly took Daria's spot and tried to lay down comfortably even though his legs were too long. His mom peered down at him and he closed his eyes to avoid her intense gaze. He'd never seen her look so determined about anything. Maybe it was a good thing that she stayed at that commune. Although, he couldn't shake the feeling that she would abandon this soon just like basket weaving and veganism.

"Ah, lavender. I suspected as much. Imaginative, calm, a daydreamer."

Jace was a little disappointed. Firstly, his aura was the lamest color he could think of besides pink. Secondly, it didn't reveal anything about his personality beyond what he already knew. Maybe he was just that easy to figure out.

_Wow. I really am boring._

* * *

Jace walked Daria back home as soon as the sun started to set. She was lost in her own thoughts so he didn't interrupt her by talking. The silence was kind of nice, relaxing. He refused to attribute it to his crystal healing session. He wasn't feeding into that mumbo jumbo. Daria, on the other hand, was still holding her crystal in her hand.

"...You think that will really work?" He asked.

She shrugged, "Who knows? It can't hurt, right? Your mom's not so bad."

He wasn't used to people referring to his parents in a positive light.

"...Yeah. She's alright."

"Now, I'm curious about everybody else."

He shook his head, "Sorry, you'll never know."

"I will someday." She stopped in front of her driveway, "...Um...do you think I'm special? I mean...as a person?"

There is was, the question he'd been avoiding all day. He took in a deep breath, not sure of how to proceed. This was a crucial moment in their friendship, he could sense the importance of his answer. He was nervous and looking into her eyes didn't help. He took another breath.

"...I think so." He ran a hand over the back of his neck, "...You are to me anyway. Uh...I should head back. Learn more about what a purple aura means."

"Lavender." She was blushing, "It was lavender. There's a difference."

"Thank you, Quinn." He started to walk away, slowly, "Um...see you at school."

"As always."

There was a moment, a split second where he knew he could've said more. He could've changed everything between them in that one instance. But instead, he kept going until he was back home. Meditation didn't sound like such a bad idea.


	10. Brother Knows Best

**CHAPTER TEN: BROTHER KNOWS BEST**

_Daria stood in front of a swirling blue and purple background, vaguely reminiscent of psychedelic 70's poster. She was standing with her arms folded, wearing her normal inexpressive face, staring. Then, suddenly, she smirked and took off her glasses which floated away. She moved closer and shook out her hair in slow motion. As she started to unzip her jacket, a weird cosmic fog rolled in. Then, she started to sing ..._

_"If you wanna be with me_

_Baby there's a price to pay_

_I'm a genie in a bottle_

_You gotta rub me the right way"_

_The view was panned out and Jace saw himself shrouded in the same cloud of sparkles and fog, bare-chested. _

_"Jace..."_

_He looked around as her voice seemed to descend from the heavens instead of from right in front of him. _

_"Jace..."_

_He was waiting for her to say more as she leaned forward, her face inches away..._

"YO JACE!"

Jace's eyes flew open and he sat up much too quickly, causing his head to spin. He was having that bizarre dream again. The same one he'd had for the past week. There were slight variations every time but it always started out the same way. He was glad this one was tamer but the song was god-awful. He blinked a few times before he noticed Trent standing over him looking distraught. Jace rolled out of bed and stood up despite his dizziness.

"What happened? What?"

"...The band is done."

Trent sounded so miserable that Jace held the wry comment he was ready to unleash. Trent sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at the ground, his expression pensive.

"Wanna go for a drive?"

Drives were much more than just car rides for Jace and Trent. Whenever either of them was facing a problem that felt overwhelming, they went for a ride. There was no destination, they would simply drive until the world made sense again. Sometimes, it only took fifteen minutes. Others, it took an entire day. As Jace got older, the drives became less frequent. He found he could sort out his problems better when he transformed them into art. Trent's problems were mostly the result of an overactive mind. Jace learned that Trent could go on for days mulling over every possible outcome instead of finding a solution. If Mystik Spiral really was finished, this would take awhile. Jace thought about hours of riding in his brother's beat-up car with no A/C on an endless stretch of highway while Nirvana blared through the crackling speakers. He took one look at his brother and none of that seemed to matter.

"Yeah, let's go."

* * *

They rode in silence for a few minutes: Jace enjoying his breakfast sandwich while Trent kept his eyes focused on the road. Jace knew that he would have to pry the information out of him. His brother thought a lot but he said very little. It was frustrating to a lot of people, even him sometimes, but he knew that Trent just needed some coaxing.

"So, what happened?"

Trent rolled down his window, "Nick and Max quit the band."

"...You mean like they do every other month?"

"No, for real this time."

"What made this different from every other time?"

"We were practicing, like usual, in Jesse's basement and Max kinda screwed up on the timing."

_So a normal session then?, _Jace thought, "Alright?"

Trent continued, "Nick got really upset, more than usual, I mean. Then he started saying all this stuff about rent and car payments. And then he talked about playing the same places over and over and lack of commitment or something. He really brought down the mood."

So, Nick finally had enough? Jace was waiting for the day he would snap. He was surprised it didn't happen sooner. Every gig, his face got more and more drawn. He wasn't having fun anymore, anybody could see that.

"What happened with Max?"

"He got mad too and then he started flipping out." Trent shook his head, "He said nobody appreciated him and he should find a band that truly understood his talent. Then Nick said he had more talent in one finger than Max had in his entire body. Max started yelling but Nick just threw down his bass and left. Max left too. They didn't come back."

Jace wanted to offer some encouraging words, tell him they just needed time to cool off. But he felt the finality of the situation. From the sound of it, Nick needed money more than he needed to be a musician. If the band wasn't going anywhere then Nick would have to find another path. Max was too stubborn to take an apology. Nick finally pushed the wrong button. Jace couldn't say they really needed Max, he was a terrible drummer. Unfortunately, there were no other options. People weren't exactly clambering to join Mystik Spiral. Jace knew this day would come but he still felt saddened by it. It wasn't just the disintegration of the band, it was the thought of Trent's future. As if reading his mind, Trent started to talk again.

"...I don't want to be stuck playing Doors covers in brew pubs for the rest of my life, J. That's not what music is about. It's about expression, pouring your soul into every song you write. I thought I was doing exactly what I wanted. Writing my own music, landing steady gigs, living on my own terms. But I don't want this. Nick's right, we're not going anywhere. We've been playing The Zon and McGrundy's forever. Mystik Spiral wouldn't make it in another town. I knew it but...I wanted to keep fooling myself. Nick said that we he couldn't survive off of my dreams. I guess I can't survive off them either."

Jace felt the weight of Trent's words, the heaviness of his tone. He was being forced to choose between his dream and reality. Jace knew it would be the hardest decision he ever made. He saw the pain written on Trent's face and he wished he could reassure him. But what was there to say? Jace couldn't imagine what he would do if he didn't make it as an artist, if the world spit back in his face. He didn't want to see Trent working in a cubicle, day in and day out. He would need a job but Jace didn't want to see him give up on his passion. He had to make a compromise.

"...Trent, you might not be a rock star or sell out venues but..." He looked out the window, "...you don't have to waste your talent. You're good at playing guitar. Why not give lessons? Or open up a music shop?"

Trent frowned, clearly not sold on the idea, "But then I'd be selling other people's records."

"Sometimes, in life, you have to take a detour. I'm not saying you'll never write an album. I'm saying that, until then, you need to have a steady income. I know you don't want to-"

"Sell out to the man and become a wage slave working for nickels and dimes?" Trent glanced at him.

Jace sighed, "Yeah, that. So, don't do it. Make your own business. Look, Trent, I think you can do anything you put your mind to. But that's going to take patience and drive. You can't sleep the day away and expect things to happen for you."

"...I know." He took a deep breath, "It's just hard when you've never had, ya know, responsibilities before."

"Welcome to the real world. Don't forget your protective eyewear."

Trent chuckled before coughing, "Good one. Thanks, J."

"That's what I'm here for."

Trent scratched his chin, "Anything you wanna talk about?"

Jace shrugged, "Not particularly."

"...What about Daria?"

"Huh?" Jace reddened, "What about her?"

"Uh, just that you were talking about her in your sleep."

_Oh god. _Jace knew he looked like a tomato now. What was more embarrassing than that? Trent was looking at him expectantly so he knew it was only fair to come clean. He was his brother after all. Maybe he could provide some insight.

"...It's, um, I think I have a crush. On her."

"Mhm."

Jace looked down at his feet, "I think she might like me too but she's hard to read sometimes. Plus, I don't think her mom likes me...at all."

"Mhm."

"This is where you provide me with some wisdom that only an older brother can bestow. Give me some tips, hints...anything?"

Trent pulled into a parking space in front of Cluster Burger, "Daria's a cool chick."

"Thank you for that thoughtful advice." Jace rolled his eyes, "You've really helped me in my time of need."

"You're welcome." Trent opened his door, "How does a burger sound?"

Jace's stomach grumbled in response, "My stomach says that sounds great."

"Cool. You got any cash?"

Jace rolled his eyes again but produced a crumbled twenty dollar bill. Trent took the money but not before saying one more thing.

"You two would look good together."

Jace sat, dumbfounded, while Trent only smiled and left him to think.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I think this is the stupidest title by far. I apologize. Also a shorter chapter, the next one will be longer. **


	11. Lights, Camera, Action!

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! **

Andre Sakarynsky's _Last Meal_ was just as interesting as Jace imagined. Though, it turned out to be longer than he anticipated. By the time him and Daria left the theater, he was starving. He found himself wishing they saved the bag of produce Kevin pawned off on them.

"You didn't save any of those groceries did you?"

Daria opened her mouth to answer but another voice rang out. It was Mr. O'Neill, one of the last people Jace wanted to see. Running into Kevin and Brittany had been bad enough.

"Daria, Jace. Isn't great cinema timeless? Why couldn't that film have been made today?"

"It could. If you find someone to exhume the actors."

"Can I give you two a lift home?"

That was on Jace's list of 'Things I Never Want To Do'. He wouldn't be caught dead riding in a car with a teacher, let alone Mr. O'Neill.

Daria felt the same, "No, it's okay. We love to walk."

"It's the perfect night for a nice walk."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a roll of thunder echoed out accompanied by a bright flash of lighting. Rain poured out of the sky in icy torrents. Jace cursed himself as they followed Mr. O'Neill to a tan Sedan right outside of Playhouse 99. He held open the passenger side door for one of them to enter but both Daria and Jace piled into the backseat. Jace thought the car smelled like a combination of fabric softener and menthol.

"Don't you want to sit in the front, Jace?"

He held up his hands, "Oh no! I couldn't. I'm afraid of an airbag injury."

Daria laughed quietly when Mr. O'Neill's eyes widened, "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! What was I thinking? Of course, stay in the back!"

He started to drive and Jace thought that was the end of that conversation and hopefully any others. He just wanted to go home and ransack his refrigerator.

"Sometimes I think film is even more a mirror of the times than the novel. Do you think this is because of its greater verisimilitude? Jace?"

_Just great, _"Uh, what? I can't really hear you back here. Road noise. Plus, I'm not even sure what verisimilitude means."

He looked in the rearview mirror, "What about you, Daria?"

"Most people don't have the attention span to read a book. Movies are fast, easy to digest, and they don't have any of those really big words to pronounce."

The whole statement was dripping with sarcasm but as usual, it flew right over their teacher's head, "That's a fabulous idea for a class assignment, Daria! Thanks for the suggestion."

She looked at Jace, "When did I make a suggestion?"

"Don't worry, he'll forget about this conversation by tomorrow."

* * *

"So, as an exercise in living literature, you'll all be making your own movies. We have Daria to thank for that exciting suggestion."

Well, Jace was wrong. He could only mouth 'sorry' to Daria while Mr. O'Neill went over the specifics of their movie project. He didn't think the idea was so bad. He always wanted to dabble in cinematography. He knew his dad had some old film equipment collecting dust in the garage. If he could squeeze through the mountains of stuff he might be able to find the vintage 8 millimeter camera. His mind was already swimming with ideas. This was something he could get into.

* * *

Jace tried to brave the hazardous garage and only succeeded in slipping and knocking over a cardboard box full of oddly shaped pottery. He hoped nobody would miss those. So, they had to use Jake's video camera which was a fairly new model. It was nice but Jace was still upset that the footage wouldn't have that authentic, old home movie feel. Jace carefully placed the camera on a cross section of thick tree branches and made sure it was angled perfectly before he hit the record button. He walked back onto the sidewalk in front of his house where Daria was standing.

"There. Tree cam."

"That's it?" She continued to stare at it, "You're just going to leave it running?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Only for a day or two. It will catch everyone and everything, from the tree's perspective."

"Wow. Riveting."

He ignored her comments, "Andy Warhol filmed eight hours of a guy sleeping and people thought it was brilliant."

She shook her head, "We're not Andy Warhol. Our class isn't going to watch something artistic or poignant. They want mindless garbage."

"Wait a minute. I got an idea." He pointed at his house, "We film eight hours of Trent sleeping but we add in a bunch of wacky affects."

"No way, Spielberg. It's my turn and I say we need a script."

He gave in and went to retrieve the camera, "Wait! I think I saw some leaves rustle!"

"I'm walking away now."

* * *

"And then you open the window and say, "Life is a meaningless descent into the void." Then you jump, and on the way down you scream, "Now I understand, I understand everything."

Jace stared down at his copy of the script in confusion. Daria said his ideas made no sense but hers were even worse. If she thought Warhol was too highbrow for their class, then her script on existentialism would probably make their heads explode. He glanced out of her bedroom window.

"Can you get rid of the window part and give me something funny to say? And a poodle. I'd really like to be in a scene where I'm walking a poodle."

She crumpled up a piece of computer paper and tossed it at his head, "Do all guys lack the ability to focus for more than five minutes?"

He was about to offer a counterargument when Quinn rushed into the room, clearly on a mission. She cut across the room and pushed back the beaded curtain Daria had covering her closet door. Jace watched curiously as she started looking through Daria's clothes

"What are you doing?"

Quinn held up a Judas Priest t-shirt for a second but quickly put it back, "Can I borrow something to wear to the Fashion Club party tonight?"

Jace shook his head, "Is this The Twilight Zone?"

Daria pursed her lips, "Hmm, let me think...no."

"Daria, please!" Quinn let out an exasperated sigh, "It's the Fashion Don'ts Costume Gala and I don't have anything wear."

Jace winced. _Ouch._ Daria was more quick-witted than Quinn but she could still hit below the belt.

"Oh. Well, in that case, the answer is hell no."

Daria stood up and walked over to her, pushing her away from the closet, "Out!"

Jace got an idea, "Wait, wait, hold on!"

Daria stopped and Quinn gave him a peculiar look. He held up the camcorder, "A Fashion Don'ts Gala could be kinda interesting."

They were both silent and he wondered if he made the wrong move. Maybe he shouldn't have interfered. Slowly, Daria nodded her head and let her hands fall away from Quinn's shoulders.

"...Okay. Here's the deal: I let you borrow an outfit, you let me film your dumb friends tonight. Sound good?"

Quinn brushed some red hair behind her ear, "What, like, with a camera?"

Daria sighed, "Yes, genius, with a camera. It's for class."

Quinn beamed, "Why would I say no to that?"

She rushed back over to Daria's closet and made off with a pleated skirt, a gray t-shirt, and an over-sized army surplus jacket.

"Don't mess up that jacket!" Daria yelled as Quinn ran back into her room. She turned to Jace, "You're lucky I like you."

He was going to make a comment about it being so awful that it was fun until he realized what she said.

"Wait, what?"

"Nothing! Nevermind! Just, um, make sure the cameras ready."

She fumbled to put on her boots while he adjusted some of the camera settings. They both avoided eye contact.

* * *

Jace had never been to Sandi Griffin's house and he sincerely hoped this would be the first and last time. She was giving him and Daria nasty looks but he ignored her and focused on getting shots of the refreshments. Carrot sticks and celery? This was even worse than he imagined. He smiled as he zoomed in on a sandy haired boy and a taller brunette boy sneaking off with some cans of diet soda and pilfered fashion magazines. One had a permanent marker and he could only imagine what they would deface the magazines with.

"HEY! STOP THAT YOU LITTLE BRATS!" Sandi stomped across the living room and snatched back her belongings.

"LOSER!" The shorter kid stuck out his tongue and made an L with his index finger and thumb.

"SANDI SMELLS LIKE DOG BREATH!" said the other boy before knocking the magazines out of her hand.

They both took off upstairs, laughing hysterically the whole way. Sandi stood at the foot of the stairs, fuming.

"CHRIS! SAM! GET BACK DOWN HERE!" She stomped her foot as if that would force them back, "Stupid little brats."

Daria walked over to him, "Having fun?"

He chuckled, "And the night's only just begun."

* * *

Daria and Jace relaxed on the sofa in her living room while they watched the footage they taped the night before.

_"Quinn, you're a genius." _Tiffany marveled at Quinn's outfit.

_"I'm like, an artist, and this is how I express myself."_

"She's even scarier on tape." Jace shuddered.

Daria rested her hands behind her head, "This is it. We've found our star."

"You don't mean..."

"Yes. A day in the life of Quinn Morgendorffer."

"Are you sure you want to do a horror movie?"

"Oh...Jace, I didn't hear you come in."

Helen was suddenly standing behind the couch with a manila folder, gazing at the both of them with a weary expression. Jace didn't know she was even home. He should've realized when he saw her SUV parked in the driveway but she was usually downstairs. She must've been upstairs in her office. It wasn't good to be caught off-guard, Helen could trip a person up at any moment.

"I just got here a few minutes ago. We're, uh, working on a school project."

He found that Helen was willing to ignore them as long as they used the words "school", "project", "class", or "assignment". "Extra credit" and "Volunteer" were only used in the case of an extreme emergency. Like the time Daria got home after curfew and Helen grilled her about staying over his house. According to Daria, she almost blew a gasket that day.

"I see. What's it about?"

"It's a video project. We have to make a video." Daria said in a flat, monotone Jace only heard when she was in school, talking to Helen, or dealing with a stranger. It was a defense.

Helen gave Daria a pointed look, "That's all?"

"If I tell you anymore, it will ruin our creative process. In fact, it's being ruined right now."

Helen got tight-lipped and turned her attention back to Jace,"Why don't you stay for dinner? Jake will be home with the food in a few minutes."

The corner of Daria's mouth twitched like she wanted to say something but had to restrain herself. This was a delicate situation and he didn't want to screw it up. Helen was inviting him to stay for a meal which in parent language meant she wanted to observe him up close. That was either very good or very bad. He suspected the latter. Daria clearly opposed the idea and he wasn't too fond of it himself. If he said no, Helen would take offense. If he said yes, Daria would. It was a double edge sword but he figured it was better to deal with Helen now and Daria later.

"...Uh, sure. That sounds fine. Thank you."

She smiled, "Good. I need to make a few calls. You two can get back to work."

As soon as she left the room, Daria pressed a throw pillow over her face. Anything she said was muffled by the cushion but he was sure she was uttering a stream of profanities. When she was finally finished, she tossed it aside.

"Get ready. Mom's on a mission."

"It can't be that bad. If I was home, I'd end up eating a freezer burned hot pocket."

She shook her head, "The food is the least of your worries. My mom still hasn't figured you out yet and this is her way of doing that. She's going to ask you a lot of inane questions and try to get you to crack."

"That's reassuring."

At the moment, the front door slammed shut and Jake entered the house carrying a plastic bag that held a bucket of chicken and various containers of sides. Daria pretended to be excited.

"Wow, a _real_ meal!"

Jace thought it was the best food he'd seen all week.

"Hey, kiddo!" Jake said as he made his way through the living room, "J-man! How's it going?"

Jake was the more agreeable of the two parents. He didn't talk much but when he did, he was always nice.

"Pretty good, Mr. M."

He continued on into the kitchen and a few seconds later, Helen told them they could go sit down.

Daria stood up, "Next stop, hell."

* * *

Jace was just finishing up his mashed potatoes when Helen turned her attention to him. Again, he was caught off-guard.

"Jace, you haven't told us much about yourself."

_Crap. _He lowered his spoon, "Well...there's not much to say."

"Now, Jace-" She paused to take a sip of her iced tea, "Daria tells me you're an artist of some sort?"

"Uh...I've been known to push some paint around."

Jake laughed at this earning him a stern glare from his wife. Once he resumed quietly reading the newspaper, she turned back to Jace.

"That's great. Teenagers need to keep busy with productive hobbies."

She stole a glance at Daria who scowled and went back to mixing her macaroni and cheese into indiscernible mush. Hobby? He wanted to say art was anything but a 'hobby' for him but he figured that wouldn't boil over to well. Plus, he doubted Helen cared much for the arts.

"Are you a part of any clubs, Jace? Sports?"

"You know, Mom, some people work better on their own. They don't need to be a part of group activities."

Quinn looked up from her salad, "Puh-lease, Daria. Everything's better in a group."

"That's exactly what Jim Jones said."

"Daria!" Helen sighed, "There's nothing wrong with being a part of something. Extracurriculars would look great on your college applications. I don't know why you didn't join the yearbook."

"Hm, because my Highland experience was just so enriching."

"Yearbook is full of nerds anyway." Quinn shook her head, "It only matters if you're a part of one of the more popular committees."

Daria rolled her eyes, "Right, maybe the Fashion Club needs a new vice-president."

"As if! If you're trying to question my abilities than try again."

Jace realized that he was forgotten, at least momentarily. He turned towards Jake who was mysteriously silent. He was still reading his newspaper and eating simultaneously, getting more food on the table then in his mouth.

Helen pinched the bridge of her nose, "Girls!"

"She started it." Quinn grumbled.

"I can end it to." Daria glared at her, "Don't you have a magazine to read? Some nail polish to organize?"

"And don't you have some cigarettes to smoke? Or better yet, why don't you and your boyfriend go back to his house and-"

"Excuse me?" Daria's voice was pure venom, "Maybe you could let everyone know how comfortable the back of Skylar Feldman's car is."

Quinn's mouth dropped open, "Oh my god, you've been listening to my calls! That's an invasion of privacy!"

"Daria, have you been smoking again?" Helen was livid.

"Of course, let's bring it back to me. Princess Quinn can do no wrong."

"It's not my fault you're always in trouble." Quinn shrugged.

"Yes it is! If you're not getting yourself into horrible situations that I have to bail you out of, you're making up lies about me!"

"They're not lies! You're just, like, a bad luck magnet."

"Daria, if I find any cigarettes in your room-"

Daria leapt up from the table so fast that she knocked her chair over. Even Jake flinched and lowered his newspaper.

"It doesn't matter what I do, does it? I'll never be Quinn so why bother. Let's go, Jace."

He awkwardly scrambled away from the table and followed her to the front door. He thought about saying 'thanks for the meal' but one look at the table made him reconsider. Daria was walking towards his house and she was already a good few feet ahead of him. He had to jog to keep up.

"It's always Quinn: the darling little angel. And then there's me, Daria, the anti-social black sheep. Quinn's bubbly and fun. I'm not. Quinn takes part in school activities. Oh, look, she has so many **nice** friends. But not me. I'm too judgmental and harsh. Nobody wants to be around someone like that. 'You need to give people the benefit of the doubt, Daria'. Why? Why should I try to be someone I'm not? I don't like people and people don't like me. Can she accept that? No. I have to change. I can't keep telling people how stupid they are even if it's true. No, I was supposed to 'start off on the right foot' by pandering to Ms. Li and Mrs. Manson."

She was clearly upset but her words didn't have any inflection. Her face was equally unreadable. To Jace, that was scarier than if she was flying off the handle.

"I was supposed to join the yearbook and take nice little photos. Hey, maybe I'd even become fashion reporter again, wouldn't that be great? I definitely wasn't supposed to tell Ms. Li where she could shove it after she tried to put me in that stupid self esteem class. I wasn't supposed to get two days detention for it and I wasn't supposed to make friends there. You weren't supposed to be my best friend. I was supposed to forget who I was, forget Highland, and become someone else."

He mulled over her words and he was finally able to piece together her first days at Lawndale. So, that's why Ms. Li hated her so much. He never knew anyone brave enough to insult her directly. Daria fished a cigarette out of her pocket, clearly ignoring her mother's warnings.

"Well, I'm not going to do it. I'm sick of this."

They arrived at Jace's house in record time. She exhaled a cloud of smoke as he started to walk towards his front door.

"We start filming tomorrow morning. My house, 8 AM. Quinn's going to wish I really was an orphan when I'm done with her."

He stopped in front of his door, "...Uh..."

"Just be there."

He wasn't so excited about filming anymore.

* * *

Jace was still blinking the sleep from his eyes when Daria let him inside. She already had the camera on and ready as they crept upstairs.

"We're exposing a hollow, self-centered egomaniac. Let's just say morning's aren't her best time."

Jace braced himself as she threw open Quinn's bedroom door. He'd never stepped foot in her room before. The walls were painted a pale yellow and the carpet was bubblegum pink. There was a vanity covered in make-up and hair products. The four poster bed was covered in stuffed animals and among them was Quinn. She was wearing a white vintage nightgown that didn't even look slept in. Instead of bed head, her hair was bone straight and free of tangles. Jace could even detect a hint of blush.

She gently pushed back her blankets and stood up, making her way towards her window. She threw back the curtains dramatically.

"Good morning, world!"

"Aw, hell." Daria lowered the camera.

Quinn smoothed down the front of her gown, "Don't you want to shoot me?"

"Oh, yes. I want to shoot you."

"By the way, which is my best side?" Quinn turned her face to the left and then the right, "I mean, I know they're both good."

Daria thrust the camera at Jace before raising her glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose. He adjusted the lens and kept filming. Quinn had made her way to the vanity mirror where she laid out a series of make-up containers.

"You're already wearing make-up!" Daria was peeved.

"I am not!" Quinn huffed, "I just happen to be the kind of person that doesn't _need_ make-up."

"So, you're putting it on because...?"

Quinn expertly lined her eyes with a black eye pencil, "Not everyone is as lucky as I am. I want to be a role model for people. Even the ones that need make-up really badly."

Daria leaned back against the wall, "I think I need to lay down. I feel dizzy."

Jace knew he was in for a long day.

* * *

Cranberry Commons was bad enough without entering every department store known to man. Jace was about ready to gouge his eyes out. Quinn was one of the most boring people he ever had the misfortune of being around. Everything she said was about popularity or fashion or make-up. It was like she was a real-life Barbie doll. He gave up filming at the food court and just rested the camera on the table. He would've had a better time filming Trent sleeping. Daria was resting her elbows on the table so she could keep her head propped up but her eyes kept closing. Watching her made Jace realize how tired he was too. He glanced at Quinn to see that she was telling some guy to buy her and the Fashion Club a pizza. _So boring. _He laid his head down on the table and let his eyes shut. Sleep sounded nice.

"Did you hear that, guys! GUYS!"

Jace's eyes snapped open and he saw Quinn standing over him, the frustration written all over her face.

"Huh?" Daria was stretching next to him, "What?"

"Forget it!" Quinn walked off.

"Can we go home now?"

Daria shook her head, "No. I know her, she'll get tired of this act soon. It's only a matter of time."

Jace didn't like the sound of that but anything was better than what they were doing now.

* * *

Jace was struggling to keep his eyes open as he stared through the video camera. He was entranced by a display counter set up in Cashman's. It was just a bunch of plain white bottles but his mind was more focused on the name. Pore refiner. Pore refiner. Refiner was a strange word.

"Did you know that "pore refiner" spelt backwards is "renifer erop"?"

"Give me that!" Daria wrenched the camera away from him in anger. He took a few steps back, not used to seeing her so outraged.

Quinn walked up next to him to see the display, "Look, pore refiner! I'm glad I don't need that. Have you ever noticed that popular people have the tiniest pores? I wonder why that is."

The boredom was grabbing at him again. Didn't she care about anything else?

"Your pores are really cute, Quinn." Tiffany droned.

Quinn gasped, "But you can't see them, right?!"

Daria started to zoom in on the camera, "Is that a pimple?"

"Oh my god!" Quinn started to panic, "I have clear skin! I swear, if you don't stop zooming...stop zooming, I mean it! If you can see any of my pores on camera, I swear, I'll kill you. Stop the tape! I do not have pores! My pores are cute! My pores are tiny!"

Daria started laughing, "Not as tiny as your brain."

"Stop it!" She quickly covered the camera lens, "STOP IT! YOU'RE FIRED!"

"Oh, I'm done. I have all the footage I need." She turned off the camera .

Jace was too tired to react to anything that happened, "And that's a wrap."

"But a wrap skirt is a definite don't!" Daria said in her best impression of her sister, "Let's go before I break out in hives."

* * *

Jace munched on a donut as the finished video played on the TV. Daria was sipping her coffee calmly.

_"If you can see any of my pores on camera, I swear, I'll kill you. Stop the tape!"_

She smirked, "Like shooting ducks in a barrel."

"How's that film project going."

Daria jumped and quickly shut off the TV as her mom came into the room, "...You need to start wearing one of those bells."

"Daria."

"It's fine. We're editing."

Helen crossed her arms, "Can I see?"

"It's not done."

"Quinn's got a real stage presence." Jace said after clearing his throat. He hoped that would be enough to satisfy her.

"How about just a preview?"

Daria exhaled sharply, "Fine."

She started the tape again.

_"If you can see any of my pores on camera, I swear, I'll kill you. Stop the tape! I do not have pores! My pores are cute! My pores are tiny! You're fired!"_

Helen was not amused, "Daria, this is just cruel. I imagine you've taken this out of context."

"Quinn creates her own context."

"You know, Daria, I wouldn't let Quinn make a movie that made her sister look ridiculous."

She scoffed, "...You couldn't. She doesn't admit to having one."

Helen frowned, "Daria, you are not turning this in."

"Are you serious? I spent all week on this."

"I'm dead serious. You should've thought more about that before you decided to do something like this. It's always one step forward, twelve steps back with you."

Daria stared at her in disbelief, "That's not true! You can't say that. I've done **everything **you've told me to. My grades have been perfect. I've volunteered. I haven't gotten a detention since we first got here. You can't say that."

Helen turned to Jace, "Jace, I think you should go."

"What? No." Daria stood up, "You are not doing this."

"Daria, this is nonnegotiable. I made it perfectly clear in Highland that your behavior had to change. That included your relationship with your sister. I can't have this. Especially after that fiasco at dinner. So, I'm sorry, but you're grounded. As of right now."

Jace had never been grounded a day in his life. Now that he thought about, none of his siblings had. Penny and Summer fought like cats and dogs and they never got so much as a stern talking to. Trent stayed in a tent in the backyard for six months and his parents didn't bat an eyelash. There weren't any rules to be broken. This was a foreign concept to him but Daria knew it very well. She clamped her mouth shut and stared at the TV. Jace didn't wait for Helen to tell him a second time. He got up and collected his blazer.

"...I'm sorry, Mrs. Morgendorffer." He mumbled as he made his way to the front door.

She followed him and stopped him before he made it off the front step.

"Jace, it's not that you're a bad kid. On the contrary, I think you're a very nice young man. But Daria is..." She paused, "...She can get out of hand and I'd rather not involve you again."

Jace didn't know what to say.

"I don't blame you for this incident. I know how manipulative, I mean, persuasive she can be."

He nodded stiffly even though he didn't understand or agree in the slightest. She wasn't like that.

"However, I'm trusting you to keep an eye on her, make sure she stays out of trouble. You've done a decent job so far. I'm trusting you to let me know if anything, and I mean anything, goes wrong."

"...Okay."

She started to close the door, "Have a nice day, Jace."

The front door was shut and he stood for a moment longer, thinking. Daria wasn't manipulating him...was she? She did make him take her to that party...but he had a decent time so it was fine. But then she did get him drag him into that mess with the coffee shop...

No. It wasn't like that. She just needed his help. He was her friend, she wasn't using him. He shook his head and tried to re-focus his attention on the video. He would have to create something new.

* * *

It turned out that Jace didn't have to turn in the footage he edited of Trent sleeping. Daria produced the video, heavily edited of course. The result was Quinn's popularity skyrocketing within minutes. Daria exchanged books at her locker while Quinn drank up the attention of a group of girls.

"You okay?"

She shrugged, "...Yeah."

"How long are you grounded for?"

"...A week. After I agreed to edit the video, she lowered my sentence."

"That's good...I guess."

She slammed her locker shut, "What did she say to you?"

"Huh?"

She studied him closely, "At the door. She told you something. What did she say?"

He was going to tell her the truth but when he opened his mouth he said, "Just that she thought I was a good kid and she was glad I was your friend."

"Hm." She continued to stare but after a few moments, turned away, "That's a first. Must be your winning personality."

"What can I say? I'm just brimming with confidence."

"I'll see you soon, okay?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

She walked away but he continued to stand there. Why did he lie? He knew the answer but he hated to believe it. He was starting to doubt himself. Maybe he was only seeing what he wanted to see, because she was his first friend...because he liked her. What if he really was being gullible and naive?

He sincerely hoped that wasn't the case.


	12. Pierced

**CHAPTER TWELVE: PIERCED**

Jace wasn't surprised when he saw the road sign indicating the Mall of the Millenium. It was his birthday and yet he was the one chauffeuring everyone around. Jenny was navigating from the backseat while Quinn leaned against the opposite window, asleep. Daria was sitting in the passenger's seat rummaging through the center console. Jace was about to tell her that wasn't such a wise idea. Trent's car was a treasure trove of weird or possibly inappropriate items. He didn't want to know what she'd find.

"So, how does it feel to be seventeen?" Daria asked as she held up a wrinkled piece of paper.

"I still have all my vital organs so I'd say it's not much different then sixteen."

Jenny leaned forward in her seat, "Why did we have to bring _her_ again?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Daria rolled her eyes.

"Your mom is seriously whacked."

"Tell me about it. "Burning crop circles on my soul's waves of grain?" What is this?" Daria said as she examined the paper, "Let me guess, a Mystik Spiral number one hit?"

Jace shook his head, "_Former_ number one hit. "

"Right." She shook her head, "Do you really think he's going to "sell out"?"

"Monique seems to think so. She's driving him around today to look at store fronts."

Daria looked at him, "I'm sure that's a metaphor for something."

"Please, I don't need that mental image." He shuddered, "I prefer to remain blissfully ignorant."

"We're still on the road?" Quinn sat up in her chair unnaturally fast. Clearly, she wasn't sleeping to begin with, "Like, can't you drive any faster?"

He sighed, "Maybe if I wanted to lose my license hours after I got it."

"Ugh, I can't believe I have to hang around you guys all day."

"You don't." Daria turned around to face her, "Please, feel free to leave us alone."

The large expanse of interconnected buildings appeared as if from thin air and Jace got his second glimpse of the largest shopping mall on the east coast. The first time he visited, it was for a school trip. That time, him and Daria had to ride home with Quinn's friends and it was a disaster. Daria and Sandi nearly clawed each other's eyes out right then and there. He was glad that Quinn didn't invite them. He didn't have room for three extra people AND a bunch of shopping bags. Jace parked in the first parking space he could find and as soon as the car stopped, Quinn bolted. Daria didn't even bother to follow her.

"Now that she's gone, we can really enjoy ourselves."

Jace was still thinking about his birthday so far. Trent gifted him with a copy of Clerks on videotape that was taped over by a documentary on Nirvana and a ripped twenty dollar bill. He said it was "for all those IOUs". Jace lost count of how much Trent owed him but it was somewhere in the hundreds. Monique's gift was much better. She got him a poster of Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory" and his own Polaroid camera. He wasn't used to receiving meaningful gifts. His parents usually forgot his birthday entirely. This year, his mom did buy him something: a book on crystal healing. He made a mental note to give it to Daria. She still wore her crystal everyday.

"Hey, let's go." Jenny knocked on his window.

He climbed out of the car and followed them towards the parking lot tram. Jenny gave Daria a sly grin.

"Try to hold down your breakfast this time."

Daria rolled her eyes, "You'll never let me forget that will you?"

_"Welcome to the Mall of the Millenium, the second or third largest mall in America!"_

Jace didn't bother to listen to the rest of the recording. He tuned it out the first time.

"Here comes the part where we have to memorize a bunch of color coded sections."

Daria shook her head, "Don't worry. I have that covered."

He wasn't sure what she had planned but he would find out soon enough.

* * *

Piercing Palace was the last place Jace wanted to go for his birthday but Daria and Jenny insisted. He gazed around at all the tattoo magazines and body jewelry with a frown. He'd never gotten anything pierced before. Not even his ears. Trent often frequented Axl's Piercing Parlor but Jace would never get anything done there. He once witnessed Axl pierce Trent's ear right after he smoked a joint. To call the sanitation standards questionable would be an understatement. Jenny chatted with one of the sales associates while Daria ushered Jace over to a piercing chart.

"Okay, how about a nose ring?"

He flinched, "No thanks. Let's just get my ears pierced and call it a day."

"Oh no. I'm not letting you off that easily."

"Why is this so important?"

She shrugged, "Because, it's about time that you did something impulsive."

Jace found himself thinking back to what Helen told him. _"I know how manipulative, I mean, persuasive she can be._

"I don't think-"

"An eyebrow piercing would look kinda...cute."

_Cute? _He tried to hide how flustered he was, "...Uh...well..."

"You guys ready?" Jace did not expect to see Max standing there and by the looks of it he was equally surprised.

"Hey, Jace. What are you doing here?"

Daria pushed him forward, "He's getting his eyebrow pierced."

* * *

Jace was beyond nervous. He tried to relax while Max busied himself sanitizing and disinfecting. At least he didn't have to worry about an infection.

"...Uh...I guess you can never have too many holes in your head."

Daria stood over him, looking entirely too amused, "Is that fear I detect?"

He frowned, "Have I ever mentioned that I hate pain?"

"Trust me, it won't hurt."

Jace saw Max approach him with the needle and he shut his eyes, "AH!"

"I haven't done anything yet."

Jace reddened but Daria didn't laugh, "...You're really jumpy. Here."

She was holding out her hand to him. Jace was even more anxious now, "Um...what's that?"

"That would be my hand. This is the part where you give me yours."

"Yeah...right." He placed his hand over hers and instantly felt relieved. He was holding her hand. It was nice. She started to smile and it took him a second to realize that Max was finished.

"Wait...that's it? I'm pierced?"

Max nodded, "Yep. Don't take that out for at least three months. Clean it with antimicrobial soap twice a day and sea salt once a week. It should heal up fine."

"Bitchin'" Jenny was standing near the door, "Didn't think you would go through with it."

"Yeah." He shook his head, "Neither did I."

Daria squeezed his hand lightly before letting go, "Let's go. Books By The Ton is having a two for one sale."

Jace was surprised when Daria paid for the piercing for him. When they were leaving, he had to mention it.

"You didn't have to pay for that, you know."

"Of course I did. It's your birthday." She smirked, "Plus, it really does look good."

"...Uh...thanks?" Jace was blushing again, much to his embarrassment. This day would certainly be one to remember.

* * *

The eyebrow ring was fine...at first. By the next morning, it was itchy and irritated. Jace wasn't sure if he did anything wrong or if this was standard. Either way, it was ruining his concentration. He hid his discomfort from Daria since she seemed to really like his new look. He was being pretty pathetic but he couldn't help it.

"Whoa, dude, pretty cool." Shaggy dropped down next to him at the lunch table, "I never thought you were, like, into that sorta thing."

"I wasn't...I'm not. It was Daria's idea."

"Hmm..." Shaggy stopped eating, "It's cool, dude. You did something stupid to impress a chick. We've all been there."

That didn't make Jace feel any better. As if he wasn't feeling silly enough already. He let her talk him into it and then he kept it because she said it made him look good. He never thought that would happen to him.

"...It was pretty stupid, wasn't it?"

"You can always take it out."

Jace nodded, "Yeah. You're right. Maybe I will."

"Hey." Daria sat down across from them, "Did you get a good look at Jace?"

_...or maybe not..._

* * *

All of his paints were laid out along with his brushes but Jace couldn't get started. The itching was unbearable now. There was no reason to keep the piercing if it was bothering him so much. He would just have to get rid of it. He could explain to Daria later. Hopefully, she would understand. He took out the ring without much difficulty and stared at it for a moment. _It was cool while it lasted. _He placed it down on his nightstand and got to work. He felt guilty and he wasn't sure why. He didn't ask for the ring in the first place. But he did go along with it. He couldn't blame Daria completely. He let his emotions get in the way of rational thought. It was bound to happen eventually. He sighed as he added some texture to his mountain-scape. He would talk to her tomorrow.

* * *

Daria was still dressed in her pajamas when she opened the front door. She looked surprised to see Jace waiting for her. She peered back inside the house before shutting the door.

"What are you doing here? School doesn't start for another hour and my mom's only on her first cup of coffee. If she finds out you're here, it won't be pretty."

"...It's gone."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What's gone?"

"The piercing. I took it out...I couldn't stand the itching."

He waited for her disappointment or maybe some anger but she only shrugged.

"It happens. I honestly didn't expect you to do it. It was a joke."

"Huh?" He shook his head, "You tricked me?"

"No." She sighed, "Okay, maybe. I thought it would be funny. I never thought you'd listen to me."

He was a little ticked off, "Gee, don't I look like an idiot?"

"...You're mad."

"No, of course not. What gave you that idea?"

"I'm sorry, it was stupid of me." She frowned, "...If it's any consolation, I bought you a real present. Wait here."

She went back inside, leaving him to wait for her. He couldn't believe he let her talk him into that! And for what? A laugh? She made him look like a fool. She probably didn't even think he looked good! That annoyed him the most. How could she...manipulate him like that!?

She came back holding a simple cardboard box. She handed it to him and he took it reluctantly.

"...I didn't have time to wrap it..."

He took off the lid and stared. He couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face. It was a new sketchbook, a box of charcoal pencils, and a pack of paintbrushes. From the looks of it, the quality was great. She watched him, waiting for a response.

"...You know me well."

She smiled in relief, "Somebody had to do it."

"You're still not off the hook, Morgendorffer."

"Come on, it wasn't so bad." She opened the door, "...You really did look nice."

"Hm...flattery will get you everywhere."

"I know it."

"Daria! What are you doing out there?" Helen called from inside.

Daria groaned, "Gotta go. See you in a bit."

He nodded right as she shut the door. He couldn't stop himself from smiling like an idiot. No matter what, he could never stay mad at her.

Maybe he was a sucker.

Or maybe his feelings were growing.


	13. All In The Family

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: ALL IN THE FAMILY**

Jace rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he trudged his way into the kitchen. He made his way over to the fridge where Trent was already standing. He had his head halfway inside the freezer. Jace stood behind him and took in the frosty emptiness.

"Hm, nothing." He eyed a large red stain on the right side, "What do you think that is?"

"Cherry soda?"

Jace took in the color. It was too dark to be soda, "No, it looks more like cranberry juice."

"Nothing." came the voice of their mother from in between them.

"Hi, Mom." Jace mumbled, his eyes still focused on the mystery splotch.

She squinted her eyes, "What is that? Strawberry syrup?"

"I think it's cranberry juice."

Trent shook his head, "Cherry soda."

Any further investigating was interrupted by the doorbell. The three of them went to see who the visitor was. Jace was wide awake after he saw who was outside. Wind was standing on the doorstep holding an over-sized backpack. His sandy blonde hair was all over the place and his blue eyes were puffy, no doubt from crying. Jace stole a glance at Trent who looked equally shocked.

"Wind! What an unexpected treat!"

Jace thought his visit was anything but a treat. He had no respect for his eldest brother. Wind flocked from woman to woman at the drop of a hat. As soon as one got fed up with him, he scouted out another potential victim. Wind survived solely off of his wives' paychecks. Jace wondered if he had any talents whatsoever. From the looks of it, crying at the drop of a dime seemed to be the only one.

"Mom! Trent! Jace!" He wrapped them all in a tight group hug, "It's so great to see everybody. Sorry I didn't call first but I had to clear out of the houseboat in a hurry."

Jace wrenched himself away, "When tidal waves strike?"

"No. Katie and I are...separating for awhile."

_Here we go, _Jace thought as he awaited the waterworks. His mom gently patted Wind's shoulder.

"Oh, honey. I hope you two work it out."

"Me too, Mom. I mean, two alimony payments a month are enough!" He started to chuckle but that soon gave way to heaving sobs, "Oh God! I'll never learn how to love!"

"It's okay sweetheart. We've got plenty of room."

Trent got a look that Jace knew very well. He just remembered something. From the looks of it, something important.

"Oh no..."

"There were some phone messages I almost forgot about. Let's see.." He looked down at his left hand which was covered in writing, "Penny's coming in from Costa Rica; some kind of problem with a volcano. And Dad's finished taking pictures of Celtic rock formations; he's on his way back to print."

Jace was floored. How could he forget to tell him that?! Jace needed time to mentally prepare for an event this huge.

"I'd hate to hear what's written on your other hand."

Trent brought his right hand up to his face, "Register for business class"

Trent was really taking this music store seriously. That was a big step up.

"Hey, do I smell cookies baking?"

Jace rolled his eyes at Wind, "Yeah, right."

His mom gasped, "My kiln!"

She sped off to the basement leaving her three sons to stand around awkwardly. Jace didn't know what to say. He never felt connected to Wind so he had no idea what to talk to him about. He definitely didn't want to hear about his failed marriages. The doorbell rang again, cutting through the uncomfortable silence.

"Who could that be?" Wind went to answer the door.

Jace already had a good idea and his suspicions were confirmed when he looked outside. Penny was standing there with a bag and a pet carrier. Her hair was dyed the same bright shade of red as her lipstick and she wore her trademark scowl. Jace was even less excited to see her. Penny hated him, he was sure of that. He didn't take it too hard because she seemed to hate the rest of the family as well. It was the main reason she fled to South America when she got the chance. He never thought he'd see her anytime soon.

"Sis!" Wind cried happily.

She brushed past him and dropped her stuff in the middle of the floor, "Let me guess, Claudia threw you out."

Wind laughed, "Yeah but that was years ago. I think you mean Katie...uh, you ran out of pesos?"

_"Colönes_. No, my native crafts stand was wiped out. Damn lava."

That was a story Jace wanted to hear. The destruction had to be devastating to drive Penny back home. He was imagining a raging river of magma crashing over the town like a tidal wave when an ear-shattering squawk broke his concentration.

"That's Chiquito." She pointed to her carrier, "He's very possessive."

Jace was already starting to feel his temples throbbing when the doorbell rang yet again. Penny answered the door and their father stepped across the threshold. He was rummaging through the pockets on his hiking vest.

"Thanks. I think I left my house keys in Connemara."

The throbbing quickly escalated to a sharp pain. Jace already knew what he was in store for. He wanted to avoid the inevitable for as long as possible. He bypassed Trent and hurried up the stairs. He retreated to his bedroom and prayed that he could survive this nightmare.

"Summer! How good to see you!" came a voice from downstairs.

He sank to the floor and groaned. He had to get out of here.

* * *

Jace was blasting Frank Zappa in a failed attempt to drown out Adrian and Courtney's yelling. Adrian was trying to wrestle a bag of chips away from his sister. She glared at him with icy blue eyes before elbowing him in the side.

"Go away!"

Adrian scowled, "I found those first!"

"So? I'm the oldest."

"Screw you!"

She gasped, "No, screw you, you shitstain!"

"Hey!" He shoved her, "Take that back!"

"You first!"

Jace had a full blown migraine now and he was not in the mood. He snatched the bag of potato chips away from his preteen niece and nephew.

"Both of you shut up unless you want Uncle Jace to get **very** angry."

They glared at each other but neither of them uttered another word. Jace sighed and lowered the volume on the radio. He started to paint again when his bedroom door was thrown open. The noise caused him to jump and paint a black blob in the middle of his sunset. He threw down his paintbrush and turned to the intruder. Wind was already sitting on his bed, flipping through the TV channels.

"How long has the living room TV been broken?"

"Oh, I don't know. About two years now?"

"Do you mind if I watch a show in here? It's kind of a marital emergency."

_It's a little too late to ask. _"Actually..."

_"Welcome once again to The Living Marriage: A Holistic Blueprint For Loving."_

"Oh Katie!" Wind started to cry into his hands, "Katie! Katie!"

Adrian and Courtney gave him nasty looks before rushing out of the room. Jace took their exit as his cue to leave too.

"I, uh, think I'll call Daria...downstairs."

He made it to the kitchen only to find that Penny was already on the telephone.

"Penny, you gonna be long?"

"Business." She muttered without looking at him, "No, no, Senõr Finance Minister. Necessito dinero to reopen my business. Your volcano wiped out hundreds of hand-fashioned tin picture frames and I'd like to know how your government intends to compensate me."

She poured liquid from a brown jug into a glass cup before turning so her back was facing him, "No, Senõr, I have not been inhaling volcano dust. Hello? Hello?"

"Fine, to my private office then."

He made his way back upstairs and hurried towards the bathroom. He tried to turn the doorknob only to realize that it was locked.

"Sorry. Gonna be awhile." His dad called.

"Whatever!" Jace was beyond frustrated at this point.

"Oh, J? Don't drink from that big bottle in the kitchen; it's silver nitrate."

He paused, "It's poisonous?"

"Yeah and I need it for my prints."

Jace shook his head as he went back downstairs. Penny was still on the phone but her cup remained untouched. He took it and dumped the contents down the sink before continuing on to the basement. It was blissfully silent down there. His mom was sitting at her pottery wheel, quietly shaping a mound of clay. He was always mesmerized by the process. She could transform anything into a work of art in a matter of minutes. He watched her for a few moments before saying anything.

"Um, Mom, can we discuss this family togetherness nightmare? Adrian and Courtney are threatening to strangle each other, Summer's gone AWOL, Wind's crying all over my stuff, Penny's starting a trade war in the kitchen, and Dad's rinsing prints in all the toilets."

She smiled, "Oh, Jace. Everyone will work things out in their own way, in their own time. Remember when you kids were young?"

He cringed, "I try not to."

"Remember the time Trent moved into a tent in the backyard?"

"Oh yeah. It was my job to supply the peanut butter and banana sandwiches."

"We just left him alone for six months until he got bored. Summer once ate only Pez for a year, and look how beautifully she turned out! You know, if you try to hold a butterfly tightly in your hand, it will die. You have to let it go, and if it comes back, it is truly yours, but if doesn't, it never really was."

Jace was sick of hearing that analogy. His mom applied it to virtually every situation and it never made sense. He left her to her work and developed his own solution. He would make his escape.

* * *

Jace sat in the Morgendorffers living room with his duffel bag and easel while Helen paced the floor in front of him. He was starting to wonder if his house was that bad after all.

"Now, Jace, I'm allowing you to stay here but there are a few ground rules that you must adhere to."

"Of course, Mrs. Morgendorffer."

"First and foremost, I have two daughters living here so you will do your best to behave accordingly." She stared at him, "Secondly, if you are in Daria's room, the door remains open. Thirdly, I expect you to respect both myself and my husband while you're here. I have no reason to believe you wouldn't but I want to make that clear."

Jace was positive he wouldn't break any rules. Not unless he wanted his life to end, "You have my word, Mrs. Morgendorffer. Thank you for letting me stay."

"You're welcome, Jace."

"What a surprise." Daria came from upstairs holding a can of Ultra Cola, "Your house didn't burn down did it?"

He picked up his stuff, "No, not yet anyway."

"Daria, show Jace to the guest room."

"You've got it, chief."

Jace held his laugh as he followed Daria upstairs. She led him to a room that was pristine. The bed didn't even have any creases or wrinkles. He was careful about placing his bag on the floor for fear that he would ruin the carpet.

"Your suite, sir. Room service not included."

"And you call this a four-star hotel."

She sat down on the edge of the bed, "So, what happened?"

"Well, " He sat down next to her, "I guess the Lanes are like birds and they're following a migration pattern because my whole family showed up today."

"S.O.S, artist overboard."

He smirked, "So, I beat a hasty retreat. I would've called except Penny surgically attached the phone to her hand."

"You've traded one brand of crazy for another. Are you ready for another episode of family dinner theater?"

"As long as the meal's complimentary."

* * *

Jace was enjoying his morning jog until Helen caught up to him. She was winded even though he was barely breaking a sweat. He couldn't believe she was dressed in a sweat suit.

"Uh, hi Mrs. Morgendorffer. Didn't see you there."

"It's okay. Speed-walkers have thick skins." She smiled which was a rare sight to behold, "Jace, do you remember what we spoke about before? About letting me know what's going on with Daria?"

He did not like where this conversation was heading, "...Yes?"

"I just have a few questions for you."

Just what he suspected. He wasn't about to divulge Daria's secrets. He decided to see if he could reach a compromise.

"...Maximum of three questions. No betrayals. Immunity from prosecution."

Helen thought it over, "Agreed. Drugs?"

He was shocked but he pretended not to be, "Not unless pizza and TV count."

"Depressed?"

He thought about it. Daria had her issues but he didn't get depressed from her, "No. Just realistic."

Helen opened her mouth to say something else but then she stopped. She gave him a strange look, "Thank you, Jace."

"You still have one more question."

She quickened her pace, "Oh, I know."

_That was weird. _He shrugged it off and continued jogging.

* * *

"Thanks for setting the table, J-man!"

Jace laid down the last napkin, "No problem. Thanks for letting me stay here."

"Well, I know how it can be, being driven from your childhood home. Even if it was a dark, depressing place, the air thick with oppression, and the constant threat of..."

Jace heard enough about his rants from Daria. He didn't want to experience one in the flesh. He quickly grabbed an extra napkin and started folding. Thank god he read that book on paper folding.

"Check this out!" He held up the napkin which he made into a duck.

"Hey, neat!" Jake covered the pot he'd been stirring on the stove, "Say, uh, Jace... I know you're Daria's best friend and...she's so hard to talk to these days..."

Jace groaned. Not again, "Maximum of three questions. No betrayals. Immunity from prosecution. And, uh, talk your wife into finding a new speed-walking route."

"Done! Age?"

Jace thought he was joking until he saw him waiting for his response, "...Seventeen."

"Height?"

"Five foot two."

"Right! Favorite color."

That was an obvious one, "Black."

Jake said it at the same time, "Oh, I knew that one! Can I have another?"

"Sorry, Mr. M."

Daria's family really didn't know anything about her. That was pretty sad. Then Jace realized that _he_ did know a lot about her. That had to mean something.

* * *

Jace's second dinner at The Morgendorffers was almost worse than the first. Everyone was eerily silent as if they weren't in the same room at all. Jake had his face hidden behind a newspaper, as usual. Quinn was studying the back of a milk carton as if it held the secret to world peace. Daria was deep into a copy of Emma. That meant Jace had to eat his pasta silently and avoid eye contact with Helen. He knew what happened the last time he made that mistake.

"I don't suppose you could tear out a chapter for me?" He whispered to Daria.

She glanced at him, "Sorry, library book."

"This milk trivia quiz is really interesting. I'd like to try chewing some of this cud sometime."

Jake lowered his paper, "Why don't they just put Marmaduke to sleep?"

Jace was actually going to answer him when Helen spoke up.

"Well, Jace, since everyone else is occupied-"

_Oh no! _He acted fast and slid the milk carton away from Quinn in one swift motion. He didn't look to see her reaction. He held the carton in front of his face and tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Vitamin D, 200%... vitamin A, 100%..."

The doorbell rang causing all of them to look up. Helen got up from the table to go answer it and Jace relaxed. He gave the container back to Quinn who accepted it gladly.

"You're lucky I'm so, like, selfless."

Daria put her book down, "We're looking at the next Mother Theresa."

"Jace, is this your brother?" Trent was standing at the table with Helen flanking his right side. She looked like she would've rather left him outside.

"Trent? What are you doing here?"

He scratched his chin, "I just stopped by to tell you that I'd be staying at Monique's. I figured you'd be here."

"Great minds think alike." Jace shook his head, "Why didn't you just call?"

"I couldn't get to a phone."

Penny was still tying up the line? It had been a whole day. Obviously, she wouldn't be getting reimbursed. No amount of screaming would solve anything. Too bad she'd never listen.

"Hey, Trent my man, why don't you stay for dinner?" Jake was actually paying attention, "Any relative of the J-man is welcome here."

Trent raised an eyebrow at Jace once he heard the nickname. Jace could only shrug. Helen gave Jake a look that suggested she wanted to renege that offer. Luckily, Trent could sense it.

"Uh, thanks but my girlfriend has dinner. See you later, J."

Trent quickly made his exit. Helen took her seat.

"Well...what an interesting young man."

Daria and Jace exchanged a knowing look.

* * *

Daria was sitting on the floor in her pajamas as she lightly strummed her guitar. Jace was sitting across from her, watching. The way she played was the exact opposite of how Trent did. Her notes sounded sharper and more defined. He suspected she had lessons.

"Any requests?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. Surprise me."

She smirked, "Bad move, Lane."

_"I was a young boy that had big plans_

_Now I'm just another shitty old man _

_I don't have fun and I hate everything_

_The world owes me, so fuck you"_

He didn't peg her for a Green Day fan but he suspected she only chose the song for laughs. He shook his head as she continued.

_"Glory days don't mean shit to me_

_I drank a six pack of apathy_

_Life's a bitch and so am I_

_The world owes me, so fuck you"_

She smiled at him, "I hope you weren't expecting something nice."

"Silly me."

"Think your house will be empty anytime soon?"

He shrugged, "Who knows? We Lanes, we're unpredictable."

"You? Unpredictable?" She shook her head, "I don't think so."

"Oh really? The piercing fiasco wasn't enough?"

She strummed some chords, "That was my idea, not yours."

"Sorry. Should I start walking around with knives in my pocket?"

"No." She continued to play her own song, "But you should get out of your comfort zone sometimes."

He thought about it. He wasn't exactly the most spontaneous person in the world. Before he met Daria, he never did anything that deviated from the mundane. Hell, he kept re-taking the same self esteem class simply because he couldn't think of anything else to do. But wasn't she still influencing his decision?

"Just think of something you want to do and do it. Don't think about the consequences. Just once."

There **was** one thing he wanted to do...did he have the guts to go through with it? Daria was watching him closely, her eyebrow raised. Before he could talk himself out of it, he moved closer. She stopped playing so she could inch forward too. They were inches apart now and his hands were shaking, bad. Could he do this?  
He reached up to stroke her hair. The soft, auburn strands slipped through his fingers and he was hit with the scent of her coconut shampoo.

"Hey, uh, Jace. You're an artist right?" Quinn was standing in the doorway, unaware of the moment she just interrupted.

Daria turned away, flushed, before scrambling to her feet. Jace was ticked at Quinn for showing up at the worst possible moment.

"I'm sure we've had this discussion before."

Quinn nodded, "Right. Art fascinates me."

He crossed his arms, "Uh-huh."

"So, if you were contouring the eyelids of, oh, someone with, let's see, coloring, skin tone, and hair color just like mine, would you go with a deep plum or a rich mauve?"

Daria walked over to her, "Sorry, Quinn, question and answer time is over."

"But..."

"No."

Quinn glared, "Fine! I don't need help anyway."

She stomped away leaving Daria and Jace alone again. He wasn't about to try being spontaneous again. At least not now. He decided it was time to go to sleep. He walked out into the hall but Daria stopped him before he could walk away.

"Wait."

He took a deep breath, "Yes?"

"Um..." She was red-faced again, "...Good night."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow."

He practically ran to his room and shut the door behind him. He climbed into bed without switching on the light. He felt hot and cold all at the same time. He couldn't keep ignoring his feelings. Something had to be done. There was no doubt that she was interested. He thought about Helen but he'd deal with that later. It was time for him to get out of his comfort zone.

* * *

Jace was trying to enjoy his bacon and eggs but it was difficult when he was sitting next to Daria. Helen didn't try to initiate conversation. He suspected she wasn't fully awake yet either. Quinn was the last person to come stumbling down the stairs. Jace finally understood what Daria meant when she said Quinn wasn't a morning person. She could only be described as death warmed over and then warmed over again. She flopped into her seat and started nibbling on a piece of dry toast.

"Good morning, Quinn."

"If you're wondering why I overslept, it's not because I was out late or anything; my alarm clock simply malfunctioned."

Daria scoffed, "I definitely accept that convincing explanation."

"Good. Because it's true."

Helen sipped her coffee, "Of course it is, sweetie."

"Of course." Daria ripped apart her bagel, "What else would-"

The doorbell rang, cutting her off. Helen went to go answer it and Jace heard a familiar voice. It was his mom. He was surprised to hear Helen recognized her. Did they know each other? That seemed unlikely but there was no other explanation. He looked up as she approached the table.

"There you are, sunshine. I was wondering where you ran off to."

"You were?"

"Well, I knew something was wrong when I was off by two." She smiled, "Trent was at his girlfriend's. So that left you."

He nodded, "Good problem solving skills, Mom."

"Amanda, maybe you should be a little stricter on them."

"Oh, I don't believe in that. You know, Helen, if you try to hold a butterfly tightly in your hand, it will die. You have to let it go, and-" She threw her hands in the air, "You have to help me! I need my house back!"

Jace was shocked at his mom's sudden lack of composure. So, she was just as fed up with everyone as he was? Maybe she wasn't hopeless after all. Helen looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I may have an idea."

Jace was interested to see where this plan was headed.

* * *

"So, once again the wandering Lanes scatter to parts unknown as Trent and I return to the benign neglect that has served us so well in the past."

Helen gave his mom the idea of staging a family dinner. It was disastrous, as expected. Everyone scattered within a few hours. Jace was happy to have his sanity back.

Daria smiled, "I guess no matter what style parents you have, they will inevitably drive you crazy."

"Well said." Jace cleared his throat, "...So..."

"So?"

_Just say it, you can do this, _"...About last night..."

She looked back inside before closing the door behind her, "Yeah?"

"Um...maybe, uh, we should..." He swallowed, "Do you, uh, want to...go see a movie with me? Um, like a..."

"Date?"

"Yes. A date. Would you like to go on a date with me?"

The smile that spread across her face was enough of a confirmation for him.

"I'd like that. Now, you should go before I change my mind."

He watched her go back inside before he started to go back home. He was both nervous and excited. Maybe something amazing would happen.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's where I really stray from the canon narrative. Situations will be completely different from this point on. Hope you'll enjoy the changes! **


	14. Swap Meet

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: SWAP MEET**

_Jace tried his best to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach as the automated message informed him that the number he was trying to reach was no longer in service. He didn't even realize he was crying until tears started to drop onto the counter. He wiped them away with his sweatshirt sleeve before angrily rubbing his eyes. He should've known they would forget, that they wouldn't be there. He was graduating middle school tomorrow; it was a big deal. Would his parents be there, in the bleachers, to watch him take the next step? No, they wouldn't, because they didn't care. If they cared, they would answer the phone. If they cared, they would be home right now cooking him dinner and asking about his day. If they cared...if they loved him. He threw the phone down in such rage that a piece of plastic broke off. Trent wasn't even home today; he had band practice. Jace sank down to the floor and stared at his sneakers. As soon as he got the chance, he was leaving. He was going to make the perfect life for himself, without them. If his family couldn't love him, he would find someone who did. But he wouldn't be like Wind or Summer. He wouldn't settle for the first person to smile at him. No, he would find someone that mattered. _

* * *

The memory stopped Jace as he was lacing up his boots. He didn't spend time thinking about his early feelings of abandonment. As far as he was concerned, he was closer than ever to getting out of Lawndale. There was no need to dwell on the past. He survived, he had two more years of high school left, and then he was free. That wasn't the larger problem. His biggest concern was the implication of his date with Daria. Did he love her?

There was no doubt that he cared for her, more than anyone (besides Trent). He didn't know what he would do if she suddenly disappeared. It was too painful to think about. He couldn't imagine himself without her. Jace and Daria. Daria and Jace. It just made sense to him. It was like there was a hole in his life and she completed the puzzle (as cliché as that sounded). If he was painting, she was reading next to him. If he was eating pizza, she was right across from him. If he was making a joke, she would finish it. They were two halves of the same whole. He never realized it before. Truthfully, their closeness was a little unnerving. He would use the words "fate" or "destiny" if those were part of his vocabulary. But love?

He didn't know anything about the word. It was too abstract for him to even begin to understand it. He suspected he didn't have the proper foundation for it. You were supposed to love your family, that was first and foremost. Did he? He honestly couldn't say. Of course he loved Trent, that was a given. But his parents? His other siblings? They were strangers to him. How could you love a stranger? He maintained his grip on the front door but he didn't push it open. He felt his stomach sinking. He **didn't** love them. He was only waiting for the day when he could shout "I'M OUT OF HERE, SUCKERS! THANKS FOR NOTHING!". His mom was making more of an effort lately but it wasn't enough. Too little, too late in Jace's opinion. If he didn't love his family, how could he love anyone else? Maybe he would never fall in love...

"Yo, heading out?" Trent stopped behind him, holding a half-eaten turkey sub.

"Uh...yeah. I have a date."

Trent raised an eyebrow, "With Daria?"

"Yeah."

"Cool." He flopped down on the couch, "Have fun."

Jace wanted to leave but his thoughts were plaguing him. He needed some sort of relief.

"Trent...how do you feel about mom and dad? About Summer and Wind and Penny?"

"What do you mean?"

Jace sighed, "I mean, do you...love them?"

"Huh." Trent scratched his head, "I guess not."

Jace was taken aback by his calm demeanor. He was okay with that?

"But if you don't even love your family, how can you love somebody else?"

Trent shrugged, "I don't know. I guess it just happens."

He was getting nowhere, "That doesn't make sense."

"Life doesn't usually."

Jace groaned, "It would sure save me a lot of headaches if it did. Well, I'm gone."

He started his walk to Daria's house with his mind just as riddled with questions as before. This wasn't the time to have a life crisis. He had a date.

* * *

Helen's words were barely registering with Jace as she went on and on about things he already knew. He was more focused on Daria. She was sitting next to him; close but not close enough to warrant attention from her mom. She was wearing an all black outfit similar to the one she wore to the coffee house performance. He wasn't used to her wearing anything form-fitting. She looked great. He didn't want to stare but it was hard not to. He was tired of sitting around; they had a movie to catch. Jace decided to pull one of his old tricks, the one that always worked. He raised his arm to look at his leather wristwatch.

"Mrs. Morgendorffer, if we don't hurry we'll miss the movie."

"Just remember, no later than 10:00."

Daria grabbed her coat, "10:00, got it. See you in a few hours."

"Goodbye, Mrs. Morgendorffer."

"J-man! I didn't hear you come in." Jake emerged from the kitchen, holding a wooden spoon, "I was just finishing up some-"

"Gotta go, Dad!" Daria practically shoved Jace out the front door.

Once they were a good distance away, she reached out and grabbed his hand. He was caught off-guard but he gladly accepted the gesture.

"Your watch doesn't even work."

He smirked, "Mission accomplished."

"Until we have to head back home."

"Must you always expose the holes in my plans?"

"Don't worry, Mom gave me the emergency cellphone." Daria rolled her eyes, "She thinks we're going to turn into Bonnie and Clyde."

He shook his head, "So, you're saying that's really a tracking device?"

"I wouldn't put it past her but I'd rather not find out."

* * *

The line outside of Playhouse 99 was fairly short considering it was a Thursday night. Jace would've moved the date to Friday but he already agreed to help Trent. He finally found a rundown building that he could afford to convert into a record store. The problem was he was stuck now and he needed all the advice he could get. Monique did as much as she could but Jace was afraid any more stress would ruin their already strained relationship. And as much as Jace hated to admit it, Trent was happier with her.

"Hey, you two." Jodie came up to stand behind them, arm in arm with Mack.

"Hey yourself."

"Miss Student Body President?" Daria pretended to be astounded, "Out on a school night?"

Jodie rolled her eyes, "I have a social life too."

"Barely." Mack mumbled.

"Anyway-" Jodie said, ignoring her boyfriend for the moment, "What are you two going to see?"

"Night of the Living Dead."

Daria smirked, "Nothing like terror in black and white."

Jodie looked over and noticed their held hands for the first time, "Oh, so you're finally together?"

Daria turned bright red, "..Uh.."

"What do you mean 'finally'?"

"I just always assumed it would happen eventually."

Jace rolled his eyes, "Is there anyone that doesn't do that?"

"It's high school." Mack shrugged, "Unwarranted speculation is what keeps the rumor mill turning."

"And here I thought being an outcast worked in my favor." Jace sighed, "To answer your question-"

"Sorry, we'd tell you but then we'd have to kill you." Daria pointed towards the ticket window, "We have a movie to see."

They left Jodie and Mack to wait in line while Jace paid for the tickets. Jace could tell Daria was trying to get inside the theater as fast as possible.

"Hey, slow down."

She abruptly stopped and he almost ran into her, "Why were you going to tell them about our date?"

"I mean, we looked pretty conspicuous. What was I supposed to do, deny it?"

"It's none of their business."

"What is the big deal? Jodie and Mack wouldn't tell anyone and who cares if they did?"

She frowned, "I care."

"...Why?"

"Because I just..." She shook her head, "...forget it."

Jace didn't understand why she was upset. It wasn't like either of them had some sort of stellar reputation to uphold. People already thought they were dating anyway. This wouldn't change anything.

"Daria?"

She covered her face with her hands, "I've never had a boyfriend before."

That's what she was worried about?, "I've never had a girlfriend either. Listen, I can't guarantee other people won't blow this out of proportion but I don't think it's a big deal...wait, does this mean you want to date me? Exclusively?"

"Um...yes?" She glanced up at him, "I thought that's what this date was for."

"Oh. I didn't think you would want to..."

Jace didn't anticipate this happening so soon. The leap from friend to boyfriend wasn't something to be taken lightly. Mix that with his confusion from earlier and he wasn't sure what to do. He cared about her and, right now, that would have to be enough. He would worry about all the love nonsense later.

"Who else do I have anything even remotely in common with?"

"I have to warn you, this contract is binding." He smiled, "There's no escape now."

She smiled back, "Who said I'd need an escape?"

* * *

"I am not talking about this!"

Daria finished off her pizza, "A little debate and you get cold feet?"

"No, if we keep talking about symbolism we'll be stuck here all night."

"You should never have mentioned The Shining."

Jace shook his head, "I didn't know you were such a big Kubrick fan."

The night was going smoothly and Jace was reluctant to head home. They were having normal conversation but Daria seemed brighter, happier. Jace couldn't deny that he felt lighter as well. He almost forgot about what was troubling him.

"Time check." Daria looked at the small flip-phone, "9:45."

"Already?"

She sighed, "All good things must eventually end."

Of course, the night couldn't last forever. They left Pizza King together and started to walk in silence. Jace didn't want to ruin the moment with idle chitchat. He enjoyed her company whether they were having a conversation or not. She must've felt the same because she never disrupted the quiet. A few times, he thought about asking for her advice. She didn't have an outstanding relationship with her family either. Maybe she dealt with the same feelings he was having. He decided against it. They were having such a good time, he didn't want to weigh it down with anything too serious.

Daria's house came into view but she came to a halt a few houses away. At first, Jace thought she wanted to tell him something. Before he knew what was happening, she was kissing him.

It took him a second to react. She was clutching onto his shirt as leverage as she leaned into him. The softness of her lips and the urgency with which she held him drew him closer. His heart was thundering in his chest as his fingers slipped through her hair. He came to rest his hand on the back of her neck and he tilted his head, deepening the kiss. It was his first kiss...well...the first one that mattered and it was as if they were in sync. It didn't feel clumsy or awkward like he imagined. His movements weren't tentative or shaky. It all felt very precise to him, almost second nature. She released her grip on his shirt so she could press her hands against his chest. The feel of her fingers through his thin t-shirt sent goosebumps up his spine and he sighed, contentedly. He felt her smile against his mouth and then she was stepping back. The chilly night air instantly filled her space. It was over...for now.

"...I'll, uh, see you tomorrow..." There was a shimmer in her eyes that made her seem like a different person, "...Thank you, for this."

He couldn't get his mouth to work right, "Mhm."

She slowly walked away, looking over her shoulder every so often. Jace watched her retreating form until she disappeared into her house. He had a strong feeling that nothing would be the same. And that, he decided, was a good thing.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I needed an excuse for some fluff, I'll admit it. The title of this chapter isn't one of my "clever" puns. It's actually in reference to the Nirvana song. I thought it fit. **


	15. Paint It Black

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN POINT FIVE: PAINT IT BLACK**

"We will scour the land with the blood of the innocent. All mortal souls will fall to the underworld."

"Laying it on a little thick, are we?"

Daria lowered the hood of her black "cloak" which was really nothing more than part of an old Halloween costume. The dark make-up she was wearing was also part of the illusion and it made her look more like a withered corpse than an enigmatic cult leader. The only real part of the act was the switchblade she was wielding. Jace had his reservations about her waving around a real, sharpened blade but she assured him that all the proper "precautions" had been taken. Whatever that meant.

"How else is this supposed to look realistic?"

"We cover you in pigs' blood?" Jenny muttered as she scratched at a host of mosquito bites on her arms. This wasn't her idea of "great fun". She was all for pranks but when they started to interfere with her comfort, all bets were off.

Daria raised the dark circular shades she was wearing to pinch the bridge of her nose. It was impossible for her to see much in them anyway. It was almost pitch black outside save for the soft glow of the moon and High Hills Park was devoid of many streetlights.

"Do you guys want to do this or not?"

Jace ran his finger along grooves in the table, not worried about splinters. He was tired and he wanted to be tucked in bed. Not to mention, he was a little ticked off at Daria for blowing off date night...again. It seemed she'd rather parade around a park at midnight then spend time alone with him. This "joke" was going nowhere and everyone seemed to realize that but her.

"Or not." He muttered, dropping his head down onto the table.

A bunch of harsh coughs made him turn to see the source. Shaggy was teary eyed and hacking his lungs one, a lit joint held between his fingers.

"Whew!" He shouted as soon as he caught his breath, "What is in this stuff? Man, you've gotta try this."

Jace waved off the smoke, "No thanks."

"Give me that!" Daria snatched the joint away from him and proceeded to take a hit herself. Unlike Shaggy, she had no coughing fit, "It's fine."

"What the-whoa, wait a minute!" Jace was very alert now, "You just...but..."

Daria passed off the joint to Jenny who shrugged but accepted it, "...Damn it, now I forgot my lines."

"Thank god." Jenny sighed after her second hit, "Can we get out of here? Jeeze, you look like Morticia Addams."

"I'm glad that you're all so supportive. It means a lot to me. Fine, let's-"

"Oh my god! It's true!" The unmistakable squeal of Stacy Rowe carried over to them from the opposite side of the park. Sure enough, she was cowering behind an elm tree with Tiffany Blum-Deckler who didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

"There really are witches here! Oh my god! And Sandi said I was being naive!"

Stacy grabbed a hold of Tiffany's arm and started to drag her off as fast as she could.

"YOU ARE NOW CURSED WITH THE MARK OF THE BEAST! THERE IS NO ESCAPE!" Daria called after her before dissolving into a fit of hysterics.

Stacy let out a wail that echoed down the deserted street.

Jenny and Shaggy started to laugh too until they slid off the benches and were rolling in the grass. Jace eyed them all curiously before picking up the joint lying on the table.

"When in Rome."

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This isn't long enough to stand on its own but I wanted to include it here. **


	16. We Are One

****AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a direct continuation of the aside I posted. ****

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: WE ARE ONE**

While most of Lawndale was tucked away for the night, Dega Street was still buzzing with activity. Most of the people crowding the sidewalks were in their mid-twenties, trying to milk all they could out of the dwindling Saturday. Jace recognized a few regulars from The Zon and even some people from school. There was Andrea leaning against the brick wall of Dega Street Comix with a clove cigarette gazing around with dark eyes, devoid of any sort of warmth. Another girl was standing next to her, one Jace vaguely recognized as one of the few goths at Lawndale High. She was tiny and ghostly pale without the addition of make-up. Unlike Andrea, she looked less self-assured and more like a fish out of water. It was clear that she was out of her element. Jace allowed himself a brief moment to offer her a smile. She only stared at him, her almond shaped eyes widening, and then she turned away. _It was worth a shot. _

He kept walking...well...more like stumbling since Daria was dragging him along. He never imagined she'd have such a strong grip. Shaggy was loping along on his right, a goofy grin reminiscent of Kevin plastered on his face. Jenny was leading them down the street, clearly on a mission. Jace had no idea where they were going but he wasn't too worried about it. He wasn't too worried about anything. His mood was no doubt enhanced by the weed he smoked a few minutes earlier. Now he understood how Trent stayed so mellow. That being said, he wasn't sure he'd make a habit out of this. For one thing, it would probably mess with his creative process. Secondly, it wouldn't help his barely managed C-average if he was baked 24/7. Shaggy's grades were a testament to that fact.

They floundered to a halt in front of The Zon. Even though it was late, the line was still pretty impressive. They could pack in people at all hours, no matter what day. Daria had so much momentum that she almost ran smack into a guy standing in front of them. Jace had to move quickly to steady her which only caused _him_ to hit the guy instead. He silently cursed himself as the person turned around. The Zon was notorious for fights and he wouldn't be surprised if this guy punched him on sight. Instead, he was greeted by a familiar face. Jesse Moreno seemed confused until he registered who he was looking at.

"Jace! How ya doing?" He peered behind him, "Trent with you?"

"Uh, no. Aren't you seeing him tomorrow?"

Trent was moving along with the record store plan (mostly thanks to Monique). He was adamant about Jesse being involved though so Monique finally caved and agreed. Jace thought it was nice of him to include his best friend. Monique thought the two of them working together would be bad news for the business. Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Trent was having Jesse on-board no matter what. They were having their first discussion about "the essentials" tomorrow.

Jesse's eyes lit up, "Yeah! We're gonna talk about Mystik Records. It's gonna be totally revolutionary. Dismantle the system from the inside."

"Righteous, man!" Shaggy was nodding so hard that Jace was afraid he'd give himself whiplash, "That's, like, the only way to take down The Man."

"I know! It was Trent's idea though so I can't take the credit."

"Ah, you two are revolutionaries." Daria started to giggle, "True men of substance and merit."

Jesse scratched his head, clearly confused, "Uh, yeah?"

"If only I was as courageous as you. Just imagine the dictatorships I could overthrow. The fascist regimes I could dismantle. All by destroying the elusive "Man"."

Somehow, Daria was even _more_ sarcastic though her witticisms lost their punch when they were laced with laughter. She wiped her eyes once she finished which ended up smearing her eyeliner.

"Just what I was going for. The mall goth look."

"You do look pretty weird." Jace took her shades and put them on, "How can you see with these on? It's so dark."

She started to chuckle again, "You look like John Lennon and Robert Smith's love child."

"I'm not sure if that's an insult or a compliment."

"Oh, definitely an insult" She took back her glasses, "The all black look does not suit you."

He looked down at his worn black sweater and faded black jeans, "This was your idea, if you recall."

"Would you two shut up and come on?" Jenny was waving them forward, "Unless you want to stand in the cold all night?"

They followed Jenny and were barely spared a passing glance by the bouncer. The Zon never carded anybody which was why it was a number one hangout spot. Jace often wondered how it stayed open given its reputation. Daria tripped as soon as they walked through the door, nearly sending both of them crashing to the floor. A few people cast them dirty looks while others simply shook their heads. Jace ignored them.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Daria removed her sunglasses and put them in her pocket, "It probably wasn't the smartest idea to go without corrective lenses."

"Probably not." Jace led her to an empty table, "Sit down. Try not to kill yourself."

"I'm fine. Although, I could use a drink."

Jace's sense of responsibility was starting to make a reappearance, "...I don't think that's such a good idea. You can't show up at home trashed."

"You underestimate me. I know how to sneak into Schloss Morgendorffer. Mom hasn't boarded up the entry ways yet." She squinted up at him, "One beer, that's all."

_One beer can't hurt. She can take care of herself. _

"Alright. I'll be right back."

* * *

Apparently, when Daria said "one beer" she meant one beer from each of them. What started off as one ended up as four and by that point, Jace was entirely sober. He couldn't say the same for his girlfriend. She _looked_ fine but one word out of her mouth and her condition was obvious.

"Is just, like, that thing..." She waved her hands around for emphasis, "Ya know, the thing?"

Jenny leaned over to Jace, "She's trashed."

"What an astute observation. I think I can see that."

"Calm down. Look, let's just go."

"I can't believe I let this happen." He shook his head, "Her mom is going to murder me and maybe put my head on a stake."

Jenny started to laugh but she quickly stopped, "Okay, you're right. Uh...take her to your house?"

"Oh no, no...no." He knew that idea was even worse, "You see, her mom knows that she's out with me. If she doesn't come home, where do you think she'll be looking? It won't look good when she finds her hungover daughter sleeping on my couch."

"My house then. I can sneak her in past the rents. Not like they pay attention to anything anyway."

"...Are you sure?" Jace had never seen Jenny's house before but he heard bad things about it (from her).

"It's no problem. I don't want to see either of you in hot water." She gave a small smile to Daria who was trying to explain the concept of blackholes and alternate dimensions to a barely coherent Shaggy.

"...Don't hold it against her." Jenny glanced back at him, "She really likes you, you know. I think she's just..."

"Scared." He sighed, "I know and I get it. I just wish she'd give it more of a chance. We were supposed to go on a date tonight. Instead, she does this."

"Like I said, don't hold it against her. She just needs some time."

He stood up, "Yeah...but how much time?"

Jenny didn't have an answer. Jace watched Daria for a moment and a range of emotions went through him. He cared for her and he wanted them to be happy together. Their first few dates were amazing and he thought they could keep up that momentum. Instead, it all came to a screeching halt. He got that she wasn't used to being in a relationship but neither was he. The only way to move past it was to keep going forward. She was doing the opposite. He felt like they were back to the beginning, like they were just friends again. The feelings were still there but she seemed to be hiding them.

Whenever he mentioned a date she would have some excuse for why she couldn't go. Or, even worse, she would conveniently "forget" and invite along Jenny and Shaggy. He never complained outright but it was getting to that point. She was blocking him at every turn and he couldn't get her to stop. He just wanted to tell her to relax. They didn't have to rush anything, if that's what she was thinking. He wouldn't pressure her. She didn't have to be nervous or scared around him.

"Ready?" Jenny already had one of Daria's arms as she prepared to lead her out.

"...Yeah, I'm ready..."

* * *

The white, one-story house Jenny stopped in front of was clearly suffering from neglect. The lawn was overgrown and two cars in the driveway looked run-down. Jace bared all of Daria's weight as Jenny went to unlock the front door. The sound of the TV was almost deafening. Jenny maneuvered around oddly placed furniture to grab the remote control sitting on the coffee table. She knocked over several empty beer cans in the process but she barely flinched. With one click, the house descended into silence. Jace finally noticed the pudgy man with thinning blonde hair passed out in an easy chair with a half-empty bowl of popcorn.

"Good ol', Dad." Jenny said in a faux cheerful tone, "Come on, my room's this way."

Jace followed her down a long hallway to the last door on the left. Jenny's bedroom was any punks dream. The burgundy walls were decorated with posters of The Ramones and The Clash, among others. Her bedspread was decorated with the anarchy symbol as were some of the stickers adorning her computer desk. What really struck Jace were the drawings taped around her room. They were expertly detailed.

"...You drew these?"

"Yeah," She shrugged, "What? Did you think you were the only artist in Lawndale?"

"No." He eyed a sketch of a city-scape, "I've just never met anybody truly talented. Why haven't you shown me any of this before?"

Jenny kicked aside some shoes, "You never asked."

With that, she helped him lay Daria on the bed. She had dozed off somewhere in between the front door and the hall. Jace sat down on the edge of the bed to brush some hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna let her choke on her own vomit or something."

"Don't say that!"

She held up her hands in defense, "Hey! It was just a joke! Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I'm just a little stressed out right now. Will you tell her to call me tomorrow?"

"Will do." She crossed the room and picked up a small book, "Here."

He took it and flipped through a few pages. It was a sketchbook.

"...I guess I'd like to hear the artist extraordinaire's opinion..."

"I'm not really a critic but I'll do my best."

He started to leave but he stopped in the doorway, "Thanks, Jenny. You're a good friend."

She smiled, the first real smile Jace had ever seen, "I guess so. You're not too bad yourself."

Feeling slightly better, Jace saw himself out. As he was walking towards his house, he decided to take a closer look through Jenny's sketchbook. Most of the drawings were of buildings or bridges. He wondered if she considered becoming an architect. The latest picture was the one that stopped him. It was of all of them: Jenny, Daria, Shaggy and himself. What really stuck with him was how happy they all looked. It was almost like one of those greeting card photos. He stared at it for a good ten minutes, absorbing every detail.

He carefully shut the book and kept walking. He was thinking about how the sketch would look on a canvas.


	17. The Art Show

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN: THE ART SHOW**

The term "Lazy Sunday" was an understatement at Casa Lane. Trent and Jace got as close to hibernating bears as humanly possible on Sundays. Jace was buried under a mountain of blankets with a pillow resting over his face. It was because of this fact that Jace missed Daria's phone call. If he had been awake, he would've been much less aggravated with his girlfriend. As it was, he missed the call and woke up at 2:00 PM feeling groggy and disoriented.

He dragged himself out of bed, his entire body protesting his decision. The only thing on his mind was coffee. He was functioning on autopilot which is how he ran into someone on the last stair. He heard a distinctly feminine "ow!" before he himself came to rest on the ground. Lying across from him on her back was a pajama clad Monique. She brushed stray hair away from her face and turned her eyes towards him.

"Good morning to you, too."

He propped himself up. "You mean afternoon. I didn't know you were here."

"That's because you got in late last night." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "Hot date?"

Suddenly, the events from the night before came rushing back to him with shocking clarity. Due to her previous state of drunkenness, Daria was probably nursing a killer hangover. He had no idea if she was still at Jenny's or if she made it home without incident. If she did, she must've given her mother a killer excuse. Jace's face betrayed his frustration and Monique's smile quickly faded.

"Uh oh. I don't like that look."

"Huh?" He shook his head, "Everything's fine."

"Jace, I've known you for years. You're not 'fine'. Tell me what's going on."

Monique was always lending an ear. He appreciated her for that. She had her faults but overall she was a good person. He decided if he had to talk to anyone, she was the best choice.

"...She keeps flaking out on me. Things were going so well and then it's like we hit a wall or something."

"Have you talked to her?"

"No." He frowned, "Daria's not exactly an open book."

She patted his shoulder, "Well, you need to try. Trust me. If you don't, things will only get worse."

"I take it you speak from experience?"

"What do you think?" She smirked, "Anyway, how about some food? You look like you could use a recharge."

"If you can fix something edible in that kitchen then I'll make you an honorary family member."

* * *

Stuffed full of French toast , bacon and coffee, Jace made his way to the Morgendorffers. He sincerely hoped Daria was home by now. If she wasn't then he might have some explaining to do. Unlike Daria, he wasn't as crafty with his deception. He kept his fingers crossed that she at least called her parents if she couldn't call him. As he walked up the driveway, he noticed the Lexus was missing. Great, he didn't even have Jake to deflect some of the attention off him. He hesitated but, remembering Monique's suggestion, went ahead and rang the doorbell.

Quinn appeared dressed in a pair of sweatpants and an ill-fitting t-shirt. She seemed shocked to see him there and then she looked embarrassed.

"Oh...it's you." She gazed back towards the stairs, "Um...hi."

"Hi, Daria's sister. Is Daria here?"

She glared darkly, "It's Quinn! And she's not here. Everyone's gone."

"Uh huh." He pointed towards the stairs, "Then who's up there?"

"What? Nobody."

It was obvious she was lying, "Then why were you looking up there?"

"What are you the...looking at places police?!"

"Quinn" he looked her in the eye, "Swear to me on a stack of cashmere sweaters that your "cousin" isn't in her room right now?"

She looked conflicted, "I...well...FINE! It's not like I needed the twenty bucks anyway."

She moved away from the door so he could enter the house. Jace never knew Daria and Quinn to work together so the bribe made sense. But why would Daria pay Quinn to keep him away?

"She's in that room of hers doing who knows what."

Quinn waved her hand in dismissal before making her way towards the kitchen. Jace wasn't sure what was going on but he was about to find out. He knocked on Daria's door.

"The person you are looking for is unavailable. Please try again in the next millennium."

"Luckily I have my time machine."

He heard some shuffling and then the door was opened a few inches. Daria peeked out at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, being avoided."

"I guess that didn't work out."

"Daria..."

She opened the door the rest of the way, "Come in."

They both sat down on the edge of the bed and an uncomfortable silence ensued. Jace knew what he _wanted_ to say. It was actually saying it that was proving to be difficult. He wanted to ask her what was wrong. He wanted to figure out what was going on in her head. Those words were stuck in his throat and he could only sit and wait for her to talk.

"...I should apologize. I acted like an idiot last night. I'm sorry you had to look after me."

Jace still couldn't speak even though she was waiting for his response.

"I called but you didn't answer. I assumed you didn't want to talk."

She gave him a pointed look, still waiting for him to say anything. Instead, he watched her; listening.

"Okay. I should have explained to you how anxious I was feeling but instead I reacted on impulse."

"You? Let your emotions take over?"

She ignored the sarcasm,"I'm not good at this...relationdateshipthing. Admittedly, I got a little freaked out about how great things were going. I was expecting something to go wrong eventually..."

He gave her a reassuring smile, "Nothing will go wrong as long as we _talk_ to each other."

"Right..." She nodded slowly, "Open communication...I can do that."

"Exactly. Now, you've violated part of my boyfriend agreement..."

She rolled her eyes, "A date, this weekend, your choice."

"Hm...I don't know. This is a serious offense."

"Fine. What do you want me to do?"

A grin spread across his face, "You'll see."

* * *

The Lawndale Fine Arts Museum was hosting an event to display the most "promising" talents in the county. Unbeknownst to Daria, Jace submitted an entry which was accepted into the gallery. He didn't receive a cash prize but the possible exposure would do wonders for him. He watched her reaction as she scrutinized the abstract painting in front of her. It was comprised of dark colors and harsh lines, a combination that put any viewer at unease. It was definitely very Jace Lane.

"It's, um, " She glanced at him, "Is this a cry for help?"

He draped an arm over her shoulder, "I'll tell you when I figure that out myself."

"Good." She pointed towards a sculpture made out of Q-tips, "Now, _that_ is fine art."

"Clearly."

They moved closer to get a better look. It really was an awful piece. It looked like someone dumped Q-tips and hot glue together then finished it off with glitter.

"Look, Tom, another wonderful addition to this fabulous museum."

A girl dressed in typical prep school attire, complete with cardigan tied around her shoulders, was wrinkling her nose in distaste at the very same sculpture. A guy holding a glass of water wearing a suit jacket and khakis nodded his agreement. The familial resemblance was obvious in the green eyes and dark brown hair. Jace had never seen them around before. Given their expensive looking outfits, they probably attended Fielding or Grove Hills. The rich kids always tended to frequent these events...which is why Jace normally stayed away. The girl caught Jace's eye and gestured towards the sculpture.

"This isn't yours is it?"

"I call it "My Inner Torment"."

She raised an eyebrow in surprise, "...Oh my..."

"It's his breakthrough." Daria added.

He resisted the urge to smile, "She was my inspiration."

At that, Daria elbowed him. The girl looked appalled but the guy was chuckling. He caught on to the joke.

"Forgive my sister. Elsie doesn't understand art."

She gave them all a weird look before walking off mumbling "I need a drink". The guy gave them both a warm smile and extended his hand towards Jace.  
"I'm Tom Sloane."

Jace shook politely, "Jace Lane. This is Daria Morgendorffer."

Daria only smiled slightly. She was naturally weary of strangers so Jace didn't push it. He thought Tom seemed like a friendly guy. Even if he was a Sloane. Everybody knew about the seedy dealings at Grace, Sloane, and Page. Insider trading was only one of their many illegal dealings.

"Do you have work displayed here or is this your idea of fun?"

"My paintings over there."

"What you are about to see is not suitable for small children...or anyone else." Daria said.

Tom laughed, "I think it's pretty cool. Very Francisco Goya."

Jace wasn't used to anyone his age recognizing the style of famous painters, "Yeah. That's what I was going for."

"Well, you did a fantastic job. It's definitely one of the best works of art in here."

Daria smirked, "Lawndale isn't known for its refined tastes."

Jace looked over at her, "Can't you let me bask in my well-deserved glory?"

"No." She lightly kissed his cheek, "Can we go? I'm starving."

"Sure." Jace nodded towards Tom, "It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise." He walked back towards the area where his sister disappeared.

As Daria and Jace exited the museum, he wondered if he could've ever been friends with someone like Tom. He shook his head. _Maybe in another universe._


	18. Is It Fun Yet?

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: IS IT FUN YET?**

Summer descended upon Lawndale quickly, bringing with it sweltering heat and high humidity. The only consolation for Jace was the fact that school was out. He'd survived his junior year and he was ready to spend a few months relaxing. Or that _was_ the original plan...until Trent enlisted his 'expertise'.

Mystik Records arose from the ashes of the Axl's Piercing Parlor lawsuit. Following a string of reported staph infections from irate customers (coupled with a 'missing' license), Axl (legally named Harold Turner) had to pay a staggering fine which left him with no choice but to leave Lawndale. This meant that the former business was open to whoever wanted the building. Monique, being as proactive as she was, managed to purchase the shop at much lower than the listed price. Whether this was because she was so persuasive or because the bank just wanted it gone remained to be seen. Trent, being himself, simply said "cool".

The events that transpired were what led to Jace standing in the middle of the gutted interior with a hasty sketch of a logo.

"This is great, J...but I think the spiral should be going in the other direction."

Jesse scratched his chin, "Nah, it looks good."

"But it's backwards." Trent tilted the page, "See? This really gives off a better vibe."

Jace threw up his hands, "I've done my part. Whatever you do with it is up to you."

While Trent and Jesse pondered over the 'deepness' of a store logo, Monique was making a list of things that needed to be fixed. Or, the real work.

"Isn't this like babysitting to you?" Jace asked as he sat down on a cardboard box, "Don't you get tired of doing all the work?"

She briefly glanced at him, "No. This is as much my place as it is theirs. Plus, if I want to see it done correctly-I'd better do the important things myself. Do you really want Trent hiring contactors?"

Jace saw her point, "I don't know. I guess I wanted this to be more of an eye-opener for him."

"It is. Trent's just...he's such a carefree guy. He doesn't take life so seriously. Sometimes, it's a bad thing but it's the part I love most about him."

Jace pondered this for a moment, "...I think I understand. Anyway, I'm gone."

"Bye, Jace."

He left the shop and made his way down Dega Street, wishing that there was something exciting to do. As it was, he only had a few options: head over to Shaggy's to play video-games, see if Jenny was available, sleep, or visit Daria at her new 'job'. So far, the last one was winning out.

He stopped outside of the Lawndale Public Library, knowing that Daria was there tutoring. He briefly glanced through the glass windows before walking through the double doors into refreshing air conditioning. It didn't take long for him to spot Daria in the farthest area of the library, in the aptly labeled 'Quiet Corner'.

Jace didn't get it, seeing as the entire library was meant to be kept as silent as possible. How much quieter could the 'Quiet Corner' really be?

Daria was highlighting some text in a notebook for a miserable looking preteen in thick glasses with a mess of curly brown hair.

"So, in this equation, the answer would be no. 8 and 0 are not the solutions."

"All that work just to say no." He folded his arms, "It's stupid."

"Maybe so but you have nothing to complain about." She circled her work, "Come to me when you're solving inverse trigonometric functions."

"...Whatever."

Jace made his way over, "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Too bad you are." The kid grumbled.

Daria looked over at him, "Actually, Link, we're finished for today. I want you to use my notes on your homework, okay?"

He shoved the notebook and paper into his backpack, "It won't matter anyway."

He stormed past Jace towards the exit, his sneakers thumping dully on the carpet. Jace took his vacated seat.

"He seems like a piece of work."

She shook her head, frowning, "...He's a good kid. A messed up family but a good kid nonetheless. He just needs someone to help him. I think that by the end of the summer, he'll be caught up to the rest of his class."

"I guess this isn't such a bad thing after all?"

"...No, it's not." She stood, "Out of all the summer activities I've been forced into over the years, this is one of the more tolerable ones."

He took her hand as they made their way out, "It sure beats spending summers at artist communes."

"Speaking of that, aren't you going to Ashfield in a few days?"

"Yeah." He waved his hand dismissively, "I'm not that excited about it."

"Why? What did you keep saying before? It's a chance to 'connect with your fellow artists'?"

He smirked, "So you do listen when I talk."

"If only I could say the same for you." She glared playfully, "You still haven't answered my question."

"I don't know. I'm going to miss a lot with the shop...and you'll be here."

"Trust me, the shop won't be opened tomorrow. And I'll still be here when you get back."

He sighed, "But it's the whole summer. "

She rolled her eyes, "I take it they have phones in Ashfield. Or is all communication by carrier pigeon?"

They came to a stop outside of the Morgendorffers.

"Maybe my enthusiasm will come back when it's actually time to go."

"Cheer up, you'll have a nice time." She gave him a kiss.

"I hope you're right."

* * *

Jace was sitting in the passenger's seat of The Tank with his suitcases stowed in the back while Trent drove down a dusty stretch of highway. Despite what he said before, he still wasn't excited. He didn't quite understand his current ambivalence. He should've been jumping for joy right now. He would finally have three months to paint, sculpt, and create to his heart's content. There would be no homework to get in the way, no TV, no distractions whatsoever. Just him and his canvas. Sure, there would be other people around but they were people who understood. They wouldn't tell him he was wasting time. He would be around like-minded individuals. It would be his precursor for the rest of his life. So, why wasn't he eager to arrive?

He couldn't say it was all because he would be away from his girlfriend. Like Daria said, it wasn't like he was moving away. A few months apart wouldn't kill them. If anything, it might be a good thing. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, wasn't that what people were always saying?

No, there was something nagging at him. Something that he couldn't quite place...

"There it is."

Jace looked out of the window at the main building: Ashfield Community for the Arts. It was a nice set-up.

"Thanks for the ride, Trent."

"Have a good time, J."

He resisted the urge to say anything negative as he collected his suitcases and climbed out of the van. However, as soon as he closed the door, he heard a voice that put everything into perspective.

"Jace! What a surprise!"

He froze, completely caught off-guard. How could he have forgotten she came to this every year?!

He forced himself to turn around a face her. She was grinning broadly, arms outstretched for a hug. Jace didn't remember her hair being so dark but, then again, it had been a **long** time.

"...Danielle, wow."

"What are you doing just standing there? Hug me!"

Jace inwardly cringed as he slowly moved forward. He already knew now that this would be the worst time of his life.


End file.
